Barcelona’s iconic Sónar Festival returns in June 2025 with what is arguably one of its most ambitious and forward-thinking lineups to date. Marking its 32nd edition, Sónar 2025 will take place from June 10 to 15, transforming the Catalan capital into a global epicenter of music, technology, and artistic exploration. With over 200 performances and activities across 10 stages, Sónar by Day, Sónar by Night, and the pioneering Sónar+D all promise to deliver an exhilarating fusion of sound, art, and future-facing thought.
Nathy Peluso Premieres Grasa and Club Grasa
Among the most talked-about moments of the festival will be the Spanish premiere of Grasa, the brand-new live show by Latin Grammy-winning artist Nathy Peluso. Known for her electrifying stage presence and genre-defying music, Peluso will perform twice on Saturday, June 14. In addition to her headline set, she’ll unveil Club Grasa, a DJ performance that dives into her electronic influences—an exciting first for Spanish audiences.
Peluso is just one of several artists using Sónar as a platform for exclusive premieres. From boundary-pushing performances to audiovisual spectacles, this year’s festival is designed to surprise, challenge, and inspire.
Exclusive Performances and Artistic Collaborations
Other live debuts not to miss include a new show from Arca, fresh off her Coachella appearance; the return of British visionary Matthew Herbert in collaboration with vocalist and percussionist Momoko Hill; and a moving tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto from Alva Noto & Fennesz. UK rapper Pa Salieu, avant-garde Spanish duo Raül Refree + Niño de Elche, and genre-defying French duo Polo & Pan further add to the festival’s musical richness.
In one of the festival’s most compelling multidisciplinary collaborations, French electronic artist Rone joins forces with (LA)HORDE and the Ballet National de Marseille to present Room with a View. This politically charged, emotionally driven piece will be performed for the first time at a music festival—merging contemporary dance, bold visual design, and experimental music.
Monumental Audiovisual Shows and Dancefloor Icons
Sónar is known for staging large-scale, immersive experiences, and 2025 is no exception. Headliners like Eric Prydz, Peggy Gou, BICEP, and Max Cooper will bring full-scale audiovisual performances with cutting-edge visuals and light design. Japanese artist-technologist Daito Manabe will debut a high-impact live show at Sónar by Night, following years of collaboration with Sónar by Day.
The DJ lineup is equally formidable. Festival regular Four Tet returns, joined by Helena Hauff, Honey Dijon, Dixon, Jayda G, Vintage Culture, Barry Can’t Swim, and MOCHAKK. Notably, several special back-to-back sets will make history: Skrillex b2b Blawan, Dee Diggs b2b Ultra Naté (who famously sang “Free”), and trance legend Armin van Buuren b2b Indira Paganotto.
This year will also be the last edition to feature Sónar by Day at the emblematic Fira Montjuïc location, with a special “Sun-Sets” series headlined by MOCHAKK (Thursday), Honey Dijon (Friday), and Overmono (Saturday).
Celebrating Global and Local Sounds
True to its ethos, Sónar continues to champion global underground music alongside Catalan and Spanish talents. Standouts from the local scene include the debut of Ama by Maria Arnal, a show developed as part of the AI & Music initiative supported by S+T+ARTS. Also taking the stage are Alizzz, Mushka, Tarta Relena, and Chano Domínguez & Bronquio.
Meanwhile, the lineup dives into genre-spanning innovation with jungle from Tim Reaper, baile funk from Anderson do Paraíso, ghetto house from MCR-T, and hybrid DJ/live sets from artists like DJ HEARTSTRING and Saoirse b2b Ryan Elliott. Latin American voices have strong representation this year, including Safety Trance, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Six Sex, Maria Latina, and the Brazilian experimentalist KEBRA.
Sónar+D 2025: Art, AI, and Creative Futures
Running in parallel with the music program is Sónar+D, the festival’s long-standing congress on creative technologies, digital art, and future culture. In 2025, Sónar+D takes on the theme of AI in creativity, organized around three key pillars: AI + Creativity, Imagining the Future of Creative Industries, and Worlds to Come.
The program includes roundtables, masterclasses, workshops, and experimental showcases featuring artists, scientists, and thinkers from the worlds of quantum computing, engineering, performance, and speculative design. Expect imaginative explorations of human-machine collaboration, new interface possibilities, and the cultural shifts being catalyzed by emerging tech.
Collaborations with institutions like the Barbican (London) and BAU College of Arts and Design Barcelona have led to groundbreaking projects such as Sensitive Interface, an accessibility-focused R&D project hosted at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion.
International Collaborations and the TIMES Network
Sónar 2025 plays a key role in the TIMES initiative (The Independent Movement for the Electronic Scenes), a European Commission-backed network fostering experimental collaborations across festivals. The results are stunning: Actress and Suzanne Ciani will present Concrète Waves, an exploration of analog synthesis and ambient improvisation. Other TIMES highlights include performances from Shapednoise & Sevi Iko Dømochevsky, Grand River & Abul Mogard, and violinist ASIA in partnership with Italy’s Terraforma festival.
Two artistic residencies also emerge from the TIMES program. A Forbidden Distance reflects on migration and identity, while Białowieża brings field recordings from one of Europe’s last primeval forests into the context of live performance. The Talk, inspired by the ancient Antikythera mechanism, fuses installation and sound art in an experimental take on communication, memory, and knowledge.
Beyond the Festival: Sónar Week and OFFSónar
Sónar Week 2025 expands the festival’s footprint across the city, integrating exhibitions, screenings, and cultural programming in partnership with top institutions. Events include the +RAIN AI-generated film festival at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and The Art of Navigating, an image-based exploration of information overload curated by Fundación Foto Colectania.
Meanwhile, OFFSónar returns with satellite events at Poble Espanyol, hosted by renowned labels and collectives. Two special concerts bookend the week: the opening night at Palau de la Música with a program of Steve Reich and Raquel García-Tomás, and a closing concert at the Fundació Joan Miró, marking the institution’s 50th anniversary. This final performance features guitarist Yerai Cortés and electronic artist Arto in an intimate, minimalist show lit by visual artist Andreu Fábregas.
Sónar 2025: A Festival Reinventing the Future
Sónar 2025 is not just a music festival—it’s a statement about the power of culture to shape the future. From world-class electronic music and pioneering audiovisual shows to deep-dive discussions on AI and cross-cultural collaborations, this edition reaffirms Sónar’s role as a beacon of innovation and a hub for global creative exchange.
Whether you’re there for the beats, the ideas, or the boundary-breaking performances, one thing is clear: this year, Sónar is not just setting the agenda—it’s rewriting it.
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