Much buzz, more attendance: Sónar gains 7,000 spectators for the 2025 edition despite the controversy with the Israeli fund KKR

The controversy surrounding Sónar in recent weeks and over the past three days of its 32nd edition has been buried beneath the attendance figures. The presence of the investment fund KKR as the majority partner of the Catalan festival has sparked much controversy due to its ties to the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, at a time when the offensive against Gaza has intensified, leading to the withdrawal of more than fifty artists who had initially been scheduled.

However, the boycott occurred only among participants because the public continued to flock to the Fira de Montjuïc and Fira de Gran Vía venues, the two venues that share the three parts of the festival: the technology, day, and night sections. According to the organizers' own data, the 2025 edition of Sónar saw 7,000 more attendees than the 2024 edition, a much smaller increase than last year, when the number increased by 30,000, but nonetheless an increase.

The same data indicates that this year's Sónar event attracted 161,000 attendees, with Sonar by Night again leading the way with 66,500. Meanwhile, Sónar by Day attracted 52,500 people, and OFFSónar, along with the rest of the Sónar Week activities in the city's various venues, reached 42,000. This distribution is very similar to that announced last year, with a slight decrease in the daytime edition and much higher attendance for the off-season and other activities.

However, the presence of the KKR group marked a large part of the festival's programming this weekend. On the opening day, in one of the morning talks, this issue had already been addressed. It wasn't even 12 noon—doors had opened at 10 a.m.—when the investment fund had already come up in the conversation. Catalans Berta Segura and Francesca Tur led the talk "Hacking the World" about the cultural crossroads of our time, combined with political tensions.

The Palestinian flag was displayed in the upper right corner of the PowerPoint presentation. Tur, a futurist and founder of Tendencias.tv, stated at the outset that in today's world there are "oligarchs," "technocrats," and "KKRs." This was the elephant in the room that remained present throughout the hour and a half of the discussion. "We had many doubts; it was a personal journey to decide whether or not to be there. We asked ourselves if the genocide in Gaza can be canceled and we still be at Sónar. But also if we can cancel Sónar and still drink Coca-Cola, use Google, or play with the Tecknik program that most people use," added her colleague Segura.

That's on the technological and intellectual front, but the music also kicked off with a political message. Madrid-based Nina Emocional was preparing to launch her show, FDM, a combination of music, performance, and contemporary dance. A few minutes before her appearance, a text appeared in white letters on a black background. " This is a direct reference to the occupation, apartheid, and the violence carried out by the genocidal state of Israel against the Palestinian people . We are aware of what is happening, and our actions will not be limited to Sónar."

The second day was also marked by criticism of the investment fund. Historic British DJ Adrián Sherwood appeared on stage wearing a T-shirt bearing the colors of the Palestinian flag. The Brazilian group Teto Preto stated that they had decided to attend Sónar to "denounce those who are financing the genocide" being carried out in Gaza by Israel and also so that their music could serve as a protest against the investment fund KKR, the festival's owner, who was also held responsible for its contacts with the Netanyahu government.

The performance by Catalan artist Maria Arnal, headliner of the day at Sonar by Day, began and ended with a political message, the same one contained in her previous works. Before she appeared, a message on the screens warned: " We strongly condemn the genocide that the Israeli government inflicts on the Palestinian people and we reaffirm our unwavering solidarity ." Along with a critique of KKR , the investment fund with ties to the Israeli government and owner of Sónar. Halfway through the show, the artist joined in a chant of "Viga Palestina libre" (Long live Palestine, free Palestine) shouted from the audience. And, to close, she had a banner raised from the audience, held by her and her dance troupe, with the inscription "Palestina libre" (Free Palestine).

This Saturday, just two hours before her performance was scheduled to begin, the festival issued a statement on its social media channels announcing that Samantha Hudson had decided to withdraw from her performance. At the start of the festival, Mushkaa, Bad Gyal's sister, had closed her concert by referencing the song: "KKR out of our culture. Free Palestine."