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Ground-breaking performances, never-before-seen collaborations, and the biggest names in club culture once again turn Barcelona into the global capital for music, innovation, and creativity during Sónar Week.
Sónar+D also returns in 2025, reflecting on the fundamental role of technology, its social impact and its potential to shape the future of art, entertainment and our lives. The Open Call to present projects, prototypes, and products to be exhibited at Project Area 2025 has just been announced: the deadline for submissions is Sunday 22nd December.
FIRST WAVE OF ARTISTS ( 21/11/2024)
Sónar 2025 | 12.13.14 June | Barcelona
Plastikman, Peggy Gou, Nathy Peluso, BICEP present CHROMA AV/DJ set, ARCA, Armin van Buuren b2b Indira Paganotto, Rone x (LA)HORDE with Ballet National de Marseille present ‘Room With A View’, Eric Prydz, Honey Dijon, Four Tet, Barry Can’t Swim DJ set, Skrillex b2b Blawan, Jayda G, Overmono, Actress & Suzanne Ciani present ‘Concrète Waves’, Vintage Culture, Helena Hauff, Polo & Pan, Tarta Relena present ‘És pregunta’, MOCHAKK, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Yerai Cortés presents ‘Guitarra Coral’, Six Sex, DJ HEARTSTRING, Samantha Hudson presents ‘Música para Muñecas’, Max Cooper presents ‘Lattice 3D/AV’, Maria Arnal presents ‘Ama’, MCR-T live, Grand River and Abul Mogard present ‘In uno spazio immenso’, Blawan live, Fafi Abdel Nour b2b Jennifer Loveless, Branko live, Daito Manabe, KEBRA, 15 15, Hamdi, Cora Novoa presents ‘Mental Diary Act III’ live AV, Interplanetary Criminal, Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori present ‘A Forbidden Distance’, Andres Campo, Juliana Huxtable, Raül Refree + Niño de Elche present ‘cru + es’, Elkka, Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk present ‘Białowieża’, ABADIR, Sara Persico & Mika Oki present ‘Sphaîra’, Tim Reaper, Dania + Mau Morgó present ‘replica — relic’, TETO PRETO, Flore b2b Peder Mannerfelt, Shapednoise & Sevi Iko Dømochevsky present ‘Absurd , DJ Paca, Baldman, and many more
The biggest stars reinvent themselves at Sónar with brand-new shows
Today we announce over 60 names and unveil the new image for Sónar 2025 in our first video, a mechanical ballet performed by heavy machinery.
Heading up this first wave of artists is Richie Hawtin’s iconic Plastikman alter ego, returning for its first show since 2014. During the last tour, Hawtin performed surrounded by a cage-like LED structure driven by syncopated computerised visuals. In 2025, we’ll find him trapped inside an object more malleable and organic, throbbing, growing & collapsing in an embryonic fusion of sight & sound.
Fresh off a triple-latin-grammy win, Nathy Peluso presents her new album Grasa at Sónar 2025, for her first Spanish show of next year. The Argentinian artist continues to push boundaries, bringing styles from across the Latin American continent – from tango to Rancheros – to a wider audience.
Sónar 2025 will also feature a series of world-class audiovisual shows, including Swedish progressive house super-producer Eric Prydz, Northern Irish duo BICEP presenting CHROMA, as well as UK rave futurists Overmono and Spanish producer Cora Novoa performing her latest album.
For her part, revered Venezuelan artist Arca returns to premiere a brand new show at the festival that has seen her grow into a superstar. British composer Max Cooper pairs his forthcoming album with an innovative visual show ‘Lattice 3D/AV’; also announced today is a mysterious new show by technologist and multidisciplinary researcher Daito Manabe, famed for performances that bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and human expression.
Interdisciplinary projects and unprecedented collaborations
Sónar 2025 will also host a series of unparalleled interdisciplinary performances, such as the spectacular ‘Room with a View’, created by influential French producer Rone and the (LA)HORDE collective together with the Ballet National de Marseille. Featuring twenty dancers on stage, it’s where soul and electronic music meet protest and dance.
Sónar and London’s The Barbican have co-commissioned an unprecedented collaboration between enigmatic experimental artist Actress and ‘the diva of the diodes’, modular synthesiser pioneer Suzanne Ciani, entitled ‘Concrète Waves’.
Plus there are even more exclusive collaborations, as Skrillex returns to the festival more than a decade after landing with a spaceship at Sónar by Night. This time, he’ll go back-to-back with techno DJ and producer Blawan, for a Spanish premiere of an unexpected set that’s only happened twice before. Sónar has also asked two artists who’ve never performed together to go back-to-back for the very first time at Sónar 2025: Dutch trance legend Armin van Buuren and rising psy-techno sensation Indira Paganotto.
In 2025, Sónar also reinforces its commitment to European culture through the TIMES (The Independent Movement for the Electronic Scenes) cooperative project, which brings together 10 European festivals to create original performances that combine music and visual arts. This same commitment is further reinforced with the continuation of AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS, which includes performances, talks, masterclasses and workshops that showcase artistic projects, creative proposals and research focused on the links between machine learning and musical creation.
The stars of dance music are re-imagining club culture
The festival’s biggest stages will also feature a massive line-up of DJs who are proven floorfillers, connecting with massive crowds around the world.
Sets from Peggy Gou and Four Tet will demonstrate why they’re still the gold standard for club music. Joining them are iconic house DJ and producer Honey Dijon, a pair of revolutionary young Brazilian stars in Vintage Culture and Mochakk, famed house and disco selector Jayda G and the reigning queen of electro, Helena Hauff.
Also joining the line-up is rising British star Barry Can’t Swim, who’ll make his debut at Sónar with a DJ set of upbeat house music. He’s joined by a staple of the Spanish scene, techno DJ Andres Campo, as well as eurodance and trance duo DJ HEARTSTRING, plus producer and horsegiirL collaborator MCR-T (making his debut at Sónar with a new live set inspired by ghetto house and trap). And discerning dancers won’t want to miss eclectic sets by Interplanetary Criminal, Juliana Huxtable, dj g2g and Palestinian artist Sama‘ Abdulhadi. Completing the list is a live show from Branko, the man who’s been at the centre of the Portuguese electronic scene for over two decades. If that wasn’t enough, Printworks returns to Sónar by Night, with SonarLab x Printworks, once again bringing the culture and experienceof the legendary London club to Barcelona, with their unique audiovisual and lighting setup. We’ll announce who’ll be playing on this special stage very soon.
Exciting live shows and performances with a social conscience
Acclaimed duo Polo & Pan return to the stage in 2025 for another exciting, fun live show, with their inimitable retrofuturistic French touch. Non-confirmist Spanish queer icon Samantha Hudson returns to Sónar with her new album ‘Música Para Muñecas’, inspired by hardcore and bakala; while Argentine rapper Six Sex fuses rave aesthetics and reggaetón to make perreo ravetón.
With their electroacoustic audiovisual work ‘replica – relic’, Australo-Iraqi musician Dania and visual artist Mau Morgó question the commitment of institutions to decolonisation, inspired by stolen Mesopotamian artefacts still held in the collection of The British Museum.
KEBRA is a multidisciplinary Latina artist, cultural activist and the standard-bearer for “desculonización”, the name she gives to her decolonising, transfeminist and anti-racist take on ‘perreo’ culture. From the DJ booth she translates her research on community creation and political alliances directly onto the dancefloor.
Vocalist and experimental sound artist Sara Persico teams up with visual artist Mika Oki for ‘Sphaîra’, an immersive audiovisual performance based on field recordings made in an abandoned Oscar Niemeyer theatre in Tripoli, Libya.
From the TIMES cooperative project come the first set of co-commissioned works, a pair of unique audiovisual shows by Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori and Chris Watson & Izabela Dłużyk, jointly commissioned by Sónar, Berlin Atonal, Semibreve and Unsound.
Mythical Brazilian group TETO PRETO celebrate their latest album Fala with an explosive, provocative, and political set, part multicultural dance party and part punk performance, while Kenyan artist Lord Spikeheart fuses metal with rap, industrial, and trance in his intense, spectacular live sets.Grand River and Abul Mogard perform their collaborative ambient and drone work ‘In uno spazio immenso’, while Shapednoise & Sevi Iko Dømochevsky offer a world premiere of ‘Absurd Matter: Continuum’, the latest evolution of their chaotic, experimental AV show.
Sónar, the platform for forward-thinking local artists
Catalan vocal duo Tarta Relena perform ‘És pregunta’, co-produced by Sónar and the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa in collaboration with the Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya, which flirts with classical notions of tragedy and the mysteries of the unknown.
Flamenco artist Yerai Cortés is on the verge of big things: the guitarist from Alicante makes the leap to the big stage with his captivating live show ‘Guitarra Coral’, which reconfigures the traditional flamenco stage with a choir of six palmeras.
Raül Refree and Niño de Elche combine their talents, exploring ‘cru+es’ (crosses): dichotomies ranging from life and death, pain and joy, to noise and silence. Joining them is Maria Arnal, performing her new work ‘Ama’, further developing her unique style of vocal-driven pop by bringing it into contact with contrasting disciplines and inspirations.
Catalan violinist ASIA continues to explore the limits of classical music and beyond, while live improvisation collective Ancient Pleasure features leading musicians from Barcelona’s underground experimental scene.
The 32nd edition of the festival also includes a special concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana on Thursday 12th June, with a series of works by Steve Reich and Catalan composer Raquel García-Tomás performed by Frames Percussion, Lluïsa Espigolé, and Helena Otero Correa.
These are just some of the highlights from the 66 names announced today, with the rest of the musical programme – already notable for the depth and diversity of artists – due to be announced early next year.
Sónar Week: when Barcelona becomes the global capital for music, innovation, and creativity
Sónar Week once again welcomes the world to Barcelona for an entire week in June, converting the city into the global capital of music, innovation and creativity.
In addition to concerts and DJ sets at Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night and the various activities at Sónar+D, OFFSónar once again features a series of open-air parties at Poble Espanyol, including some of the most influential electronic labels and artists in the world. Australian group RÜFÜS DU SOL have already sold out the two opening dates on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June. This week, the third date has been announced, as Swiss duo Adriatique return with ‘X’ on Thursday 12th June, following the success of last year’s event. The rest of the parties will be announced in the coming weeks. More details and additional activities for Sónar Week 2025 will be announced very soon.
About Sónar
Sónar is a pioneering festival that’s been championing electronic music and digital culture since its first edition in 1994. Each year in June, audiences come to Barcelona for Sónar, drawn to the festival’s forward-thinking programming, innovative format, and unique atmosphere. Year upon year, Sónar brings together emerging artists and showcases new trends from music and beyond.
As well as hosting the most influential artists from around the world, it also acts as a proving ground for new projects, collaborations and creations that build bridges between music, performance, and technology. Since 2013, much of this content falls under the umbrella of Sónar+D; an ‘anti-disciplinary’ programme of performances, installations, and conferences taking place within Sónar by Day that explores how emerging technologies and digital creativity are shaping the world.
After three decades and over 100 editions worldwide, Sónar continues to re-define what a festival can be, removing barriers and forging connections between audiences, genres and creative disciplines.
About Sónar+D
Sónar+D goes beyond music, exploring the shared spaces between the creative industries, innovation and technology.
With a three-day programme fully integrated into Sónar by Day, it’s where you’ll find talks and panel discussions, radical performances, and an interactive exhibition space.
An event like no other, it offers a unique mix of content and formats within an inspirational festival atmosphere: a place where you can engage and exchange with artists and thinkers as well as other professionals and curious attendees.
About Sónar Week
Sónar Week extends Sónar’s throughout Barcelona, turning the city into the global capital of electronic music and digital culture. Joining Sónar by Day, Sónar by Night and Sónar+D are OFFSónar at Poble Espanyol, the +RAIN Film Festival at the UPF Poblenou Campus, plus a special concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana, offering a panoramic view of the future of music, innovation, and creativity.
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