Sónar 2026 returns with a hundred shows and a new one-site format

Sónar is preparing for its latest edition, and one that will look very different to its most recent festivals.

This year, due to ongoing works at the Fira de Montjuïc site, all musical activity is moved to Fira Gran Via, where Sónar by Night normally takes place.

The division of Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night is no more, with non-stop music for 14 hours during the festival's two biggest days. 

The site will have four stages on Thursday, June 18, and six on Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20.

Over a hundred performances of various disciplines and formats will make up the festival program, including cult British techno band The Prodigy, London rapper Skepta, sessions by Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens and Chris Stussy, live performances by Cabaret Voltaire, Kelis, WhoMadeWho, and Modeselektor and the 360º improvisation project STOOR Live.

The event, now presided over by new director, François Jozic, seeks to offer a mix of languages, disciplines, and generations in a new format faithful to its essence.

New this year

At a press conference on Wednesday, the festival presented its latest updates for its upcoming edition. 

The move of the whole festival to Fira Gran Via has brought with it a redesign of the space, with new rest areas in a central hub.  

This year, as each day will last such a long time, organizers have allowed for people to leave the Fira Gran Via festival site and come back during the same day. Additionally, people will be allowed to bring in food this year. 

The 'Cashless' payment system is removed for this year, while free water fountains will be distributed throughout the festival.

Thursday night will be extended, lasting until 3am, while the Sónar bus returns to help fans get back to the city centre and home after the event. 

Line-up

The Sónar 2026 line-up seeks to combine emerging artists, established names, global sounds, and experiences that go beyond music.

To achieve this, organizers have rethought and redesigned the Fira Gran Via site, from the stages and their technical equipment to the lighting of the spaces and the resources present throughout the venue.

The 33rd edition of the music event will feature big names such as Prodigy, Skepta, Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens, Chris Stussy, Cabaret Voltaire, Kelis, WhoMadeWho, Modeselektor and Speedy J.

Nia Archives, Dom Dolla, the new R2 show (b2b AI, Holographic AV) by Reinier Zonneveld, the four-man set by Goldie b2b Doc Scott together with Medic MC, Two Shell, KETTAMA, DJ Gigola, Sara Landry, Sammy Virji, Funk Tribu, Daria Kolosova, Ciara Cuvé and PETERBLUE, will also be present.

Additionally, the line-up also boasts Boys Noize, FJAAK x Kittin, Joy Orbison, Gerd Janson with Marcel Dettmann and Clementaum with LAZA, the shows of Namasenda, Metrika, Miss Bashful and Cutemobb, the new live shows of Daito Manabe with AI technology from Google DeepMind, Daniel Avery, Wata Igarashi, IceMorph, Kilopatrah Jones, LOVEFOXY, The Hacker, SALOME, Arthi, Addison Groove, GOTH-TRAD and Takuya Nakamura, Glitterbox and the collective BULTO.

Sónar+D at Llotja de Mar

Managed entirely by the non-profit organization Fundació Sónar, the new edition of Sónar+D will be held on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 June, from 10am to 9pm, at its new location at Llotja de Mar, at Pla de Palau in Barcelona's old town.

For the first time, Sónar+D will be in a separate location to the rest of the Sónar festival.

The program invites fans to explore new ways of living with technology, moving from passive consumption to active participation in it.

This critical, constructive and optimistic reflection on the human factor in an increasingly automated environment will be carried out through a program of Talks & Panels, installations, performances and interactive exhibition spaces with projects and prototypes.

In addition, the essence of Sónar+D will present at Fira Gran Via with the architectural structure ORGANYSMO, developed by LedPulse, and the projection Dins de Desilence, presented by fritz–kolab.

Sónar Kids and other proposals

Sónar Kids, the parallel program of Sónar designed to be enjoyed as a family, will return on Saturday, June 20, at Parc del Fòrum, with activities aimed at awakening and stimulating the creativity of children.

Sónar Kids will be part of Sónar District, where the Solid Grooves parties will also take place, on Firday, June 19, and Metamorfosi by Joseph Capriati and You&Me by Josh Baker, on Saturday 20 June.

Meanwhile, OFFSónar will be held in Poble Espanyol another year, with a series of parties from Thursday to Sunday, including Rampa & Adam Port, X by Adriatique and elrow, among others.