Sónar has the whole scene guessing. On 27 October the Barcelona festival posted 'Sónar is dead' with the dates 1994–2026 on its website and Instagram, styled like an obituary, and invited fans to leave condolences online. So far it hasn't explained what it means.
At a glance
- What happened: an obituary-style 'Sónar is dead, 1994–2026' message and a thank-you note to the community
- Confirmed so far: nothing. No official word on whether the festival is ending
- Last edition: June 2026, around 150,000 people, with Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, Dom Dolla, Sara Landry and Sammy Virji
The theories
- A real goodbye: the end of the festival after 32 years.
- A rebrand: a new name, format or direction.
- A move: a new site or new city.
- A stunt: it landed days before Halloween, and Sónar usually starts announcing its next lineup around November.
Spanish paper La Vanguardia has also weighed the options, and some fans are linking it to the recent controversy over the festival's ownership. None of it is confirmed.
Why it matters
Since 1994 Sónar has been one of Europe's key electronic festivals: music by day and night, plus the Sónar+D programme on creativity and technology. Losing it would be a big hit to Barcelona's scene. If it's a reinvention, it's a dramatic way to announce one.
Save Sónar in RaveConnects and we'll let you know when there's real news.
