“Sónar is dead.” That’s the only headline on the Barcelona festival’s official website this afternoon. The whole site has been swapped for a black farewell page with two dates on it, 1994 and 2026.
There’s no lineup, no ticket link and no news section left. Instead, the page carries a book of condolences where fans can leave their name and a few words of goodbye. Underneath, a short line signs off the whole thing: “The Sónar family thanks you for your support. Thank you for being part of our story.”
The same message is up in Spanish (“Sónar ha muerto”) and Catalan. It’s also on the festival’s Instagram, @sonarfestival.
What “Sónar is dead” actually tells us
Not much yet, and that’s the point. Sónar hasn’t said whether this is a full closure, a rebrand or a reboot under a new name. It also hasn’t mentioned what happens to the June dates or the Sónar+D creativity and tech conference.
So for now, the only official word is the page itself. We’ve checked for a press release or a statement and there isn’t one. Barcelona’s local press is already treating it as a shutdown, but the festival has not confirmed that in its own words.
Because of that, we’d hold off on reading too much into it. A lot of big festivals have used a teaser like this before a relaunch. Still, putting an end date on 32 years of history is a heavy way to tease anything.
Sónar’s place in Barcelona
Sónar started in Barcelona in 1994. Over the next three decades it grew into one of Europe’s best-known electronic music festivals, split between Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night.
For UK ravers it has long been a June fixture, a short flight from home. If you’re planning a European summer, we’ve also rounded up the Balance Croatia 2027 lineup.
We’ll update this story as soon as Sónar explains what comes next.
