The Sònar has closed 2025 with an assistance record despite the boycott for its sale to the Proisraelí Kkr fund. The organization has counted 161,000 spectators, compared to 154,000 of 2024. But, eye, the increase is due to the rise of viewers of off Sònar and Sònar Week (42,000 in 2025, 34,000 in 2024). However, it should be noted that Sònar at night has increased little (from 66,000 to 66,500 attendees in this edition), and that the Sònar during the day has dropped: from 54,000 attendees in 2024 to 52,500.
In conclusion: the boycott has penetrated more among the artists than among the public. Yesterday he canceled Samantha Hudson at the last moment, who had to present on Saturday his show ‘Doll House’. In a stories of his Instagram he explains: “After a long and deep reflection, I have made the decision to cancel my participation in the festival. It was not meaningful poster is valid (…) condemns the genocide and ethnic cleaning that the Israel government is carrying out in Palestine and manifests my rejection towards Kkr. ” The artist has also canceled her presence in the FIB.
This Saturday 14 there are convened concentrations in 125 Spanish cities under the motto «Enough! Let’s stop the genocide in Palestine ». The one in Barcelona begins at 6pm and has to pass between Plaça Universitat and Plaça Sant Jaume. On the way to the Fira, change of idea and decide to join the manifestation. Despite the infamous heat, more than 18,000 protesters congregate according to the Urban Guàrdia, 25,000 according to the organizers. There are lots of families, associations and people of diverse fur, including attendees to Sònar (some detect). There are so many people who, at 18:45, the bulk of protesters have not yet left University. And the demonstration will have to end in the Plaça of the Cathedral in the face of the impossibility of being able to enter the Plaça Sant Jaume.
When I arrive at Plaça Espanya, Yerai Cortés He is already in the last section of his concert ‘Coral guitar’ and the hall is to overflow. So I sacrifice it. My contacts explain that it has been very emotional, that there are people who have cried. That at one time they have turned off the light and have returned all artists with Palestinian scarves. At least, I managed to see this same show in the past Monkey Week. I take the opportunity to visit the ‘Lux Mundi’ installation, which shows an immersive experience of the Sant Climent de Taüll apse with the music of the Rinian cake. And chance gives me one of those rare magical moments that reconcile with the festival: shortly after entering the Reena cake. For 10 minutes it will be its beautiful live voices, and not the recording, those that accompany us on this audiovisual trip to the Romanesque Catalan. Ravishing. And, I reiterate, magical.
The great appointment of the day, perhaps of the festival, is the meeting at the summit between Suzanne Cianithe historic pioneer of the synthesizers and Actressthe British techno producer. Two generations, two models of understanding electronics, which manage to be incredible in their project ‘Concrète Waves’. Sitting facing a large table, they act as applied noise goldsmiths. His only ornament, the rays of light that accompany his music. It is not known who proposes what: if the rhythms and bpm act, if the sound environment cyani. Here there are beats of tense animal, danger and sound landscapes, which refer me to the Metro or the jungle. To urban landscape that turns febrile office with guitar skids until it ends up becoming the BSO of ‘metropolis’. Each time the volume, the beats. Suzanne looks exultant, smiling. Actress is more serious and concentrated. There is a rhythm of bombing, you are bombarded lights. He calm down a little, like a nanny with the unbroken BPM. They end rhythmic. Dance. They are grateful, and as applied as they appeared.
I immediately take the bus to go to Sònar at night and see what is cooked. It seems that among the public there is much less activism here. It must also be said that between the human tide and the semi -crowd that reigns many times in the enclosure, it is more difficult to make general assessments. In addition, the festival’s night branch has always charged the reputation to drag a hedonistic audience, willing to the party, but indifferent to the concrete proposals and the concerns. At 10 pm the club stage expects the presence of Nathy Peluso. But as the concert passes, he starts to burst. Nathy makes no statement outside of what are the normal expressions of a concert. Unless we understand wearing a shirt that looks like a gigantic “Christian Dior” as a political proclamation, of course.
His show is the same one that could be enjoyed in Mallorca Live, only here the curtain is red instead of blue. And that Nathy is seen an extra motivation plus to play at home. The show is her. The audiovisuals that represent a movie or the three dancers who appear in some songs do not dull it. He plays his role as a winning diva that is solvent in the bolero lying on the ground (‘envy’), but shines in the sauce of ‘mafia’ and ‘pure poison’. He also plays hip-hop in his bazrp session #36. It tells us how beautiful love and energy, before sounding to the Miami Sound Machine with ‘Buenos Aires’, while looking good as a hug with the wind. The closure is with ‘living like this is dying of love’, somewhat decaffeinated, although we know it all. Peluso is a winner and it is clear that the only flag that is willing to wave is yours, the ‘fat’.
Those who do not cut are the Spaniards T.Modet & Carlotto Rose In Sonar Pub. His Breakbeat set ends with a catchy coda like video games, while the messages on screen happen: Fuck All The Politicians. Fuck colonialism. Fuck Capitalism. Fuck kkr. And above all, one that is repeated again and again: Free Palestine. In comparison, the French Polo & Pan Dan Fumita, as if we were in the summer of 2001 and everything was fine. The two are handsome, dressed in white, distributing light French touch, but that is very soft. Lights and projections are very beautiful and suggestive. To finish dressing, they are joined by a retrofuturist singer. They are manipulating many keyboards and botoncitos diligently, which always gives a lot of play. They end up singing ‘Ani Kuni’ and addressing the public as animators of a resort. Light and inconsequential.
