Barcelona mayor 'understands' Sónar boycott

The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has said he understands artists' boycott of Sónar – although he wouldn't label it as such – and that society must express itself "through the tools it has."

"I wouldn’t call it a boycott of Sónar – things are a bit more nuanced, but I understand the reactions," he said in an interview for Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.

The mayor condemned the "systematic genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza" and reiterated that the city council has severed ties with Israel.

An internal circular will be issued in the coming days listing companies it will no longer engage with. KKR – which acquired Sónar's parent company last year – is not among them, as it's not included in the "official" EU list, the mayor explained.

Collboni also said he will not attend Sónar next week, saying: "This year it doesn't work for me."

He also clarified that the city does not directly fund Sónar, but does support a foundation that promotes innovation tied to the festival.

Collboni said that although he understands the boycott sentiments, he cannot express a personal opinion, as he is the mayor of the city.

During the interview, the mayor also confirmed he will attend the LGBTQ+ pride march in Budapest on June 28, which has been banned by the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Sónar boycott

On Tuesday, Sónar confirmed that six more artists had canceled their performances, adding to the 28 acts that had already withdrawn.

The growing boycott follows revelations about financial ties between the festival's parent company and an Israeli investment fund.

The controversy erupted after it was revealed that KKR, a pro-Israeli investment firm, holds shares in Superstruct Entertainment, the company that owns Sónar.

In response, Sónar has publicly distanced itself from KKR, stating that it has no direct relationship with the fund.

KKR has financial ties with various Israeli companies, leading activist groups, including those aligned with the BDS movement, to argue that KKR's investments extend to companies that directly or indirectly support the Israeli military. KKR is also a major shareholder in firms that ultimately market real estate Israel's settlements on Palestinian territory that Amesty International describes as "illegal". 

Note: a previous version of this article erroneously referred to KKR as an "Israeli company." KKR is a US company, based in New York, and its website does not list any office in Israel.