Sónar wants to turn the page with the first full edition in L'Hospitalet

BarcelonaAfter the announcement of the departure of the founders of Sónar, culminating point of a annus horribilis Marked by controversy over its links to the pro-Israeli investment fund KKR and the cancellation of more than thirty groups in protest, the electronic music festival turns the page with the announcement of the first names on the lineup for the 2026 edition, which will be the first to be held entirely at Fira Gran Via. As previously announcedThe renovation of the Fira Montjuïc venues has forced Sónar to concentrate its daytime and nighttime activities at the Hospitalet fairgrounds; a new, unified Sónar will feature concerts and activities running continuously from 5 pm to 3 am on Thursday, June 18, and from 5 pm to 7 am on Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20. To inaugurate this new format, the festival will feature British rapper Skepta, the legendary British cult band Cabaret Voltaire – with over five decades of history – and American singer Kelis, one of the queens of New York R&B in recent decades. Also appearing will be familiar names for Sónar audiences, such as Belgian artist Charlotte de Witte with a new audiovisual show, the German duo Modeselektor, and techno diva Amelie Lens, who will present her new show. AuraOther names on the lineup include the duo Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, Chris Stussy, WhoMadeWho, Boys Noize, Nia Archives, Joy Orbison, and Kettama, among others, who will perform on six stages: three outdoors and three indoors. François Jozic, the new director of Sónar, assures that the new Sónar format will allow attendees to "live the full experience and enjoy many more hours of uninterrupted music, with more offerings and more stages operating simultaneously in each time slot." But Sónar's trip to Hospitalet won't be complete: all the talks and meetings of Sónar+D, the parallel festival focused on the interaction between creativity, technology, and innovation, will remain in Barcelona. However, Sónar+D will bring large-format immersive and interactive installations and digital art pieces to Fira Gran Via.