More than 70 artists call on Sónar to distance itself from KKR’s “complicit investments”
More than 70 artists who have previously performed at Sónar, or got booked to appear at its 2025 edition, have called on the Barcelona-based festival to distance itself from KKR’s “complicit investments”.
Sónar Festival is owned by Superstruct, whose parent company KKR has recently come under fire for having stakes in weapons manufacturing companies, the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and a number of Israeli corporations that operate in occupied Palestinian territories.
In recent weeks, several Superstruct-owned music companies including Field Day, Boiler Room, and Mighty Hoopla have received backlash from Palestine activist groups.
Read this next: Mighty Hoopla says it stands against “unethical investments” of KKR
BDS Movement, a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts and economic sanctions against Israel, shared an open letter earlier today (May 16), asking Sónar to meet certain demands, which include “adopting ethical programming and partnership policies” and “respecting BDS guidelines”.
“International complicity enables Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and therefore we oppose the involvement of complicit corporations in our festivals and venues,” the letter reads.
Florentino, Objekt, DJ Haram, Kode9, Loraine James, Manuka Honey, Om Unit, Shannen SP, and Jokkoo Collective are among those who have signed the open letter to Sónar so far.
Read this next: Field Day issues statement following artist boycott over ties to KKR: “We had no say”
“The signatories also include artists who have already withdrawn from the festival,” BDS wrote. “Palestinians are calling for escalating pressure on Sónar, including through boycotts.”
Earlier today, Juliana Huxtable announced that she will no longer be appearing at this year’s edition of Sónar “in accordance with BDS”, writing in a statement: “Honored to be enlisted with such stellar talent in this moment of refusal, and I hope that the brilliance of Sonar’s curation can escape the grips of complicity.”
Previous artists to withdraw include Emma DJ and Animistic Beliefs, who pulled in April.
Read this next: Midland, Roza Terenzi, and more, join Sisu Crew in pulling out of Field Day in boycott of KKR ownership
Sónar has released a statement on its ownership, calling itself a “platform that promotes diversity, inclusion, and respects the freedom of expression of its artists, participants, and collaborators”.
“The Sónar team has always worked and will always work with the premise of promoting respect for universal human rights,” they wrote. “The festival strongly condemns all forms of violence.”
Read both BDS’s open letter and Sónar’s statement below.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
