Meet you on the dancefloor There’s a list of dancefloor-ready sets that should already have you sweating: from electro queen Helena Hauff to an unpredictable mix of dubstep, techno and more by Blawan b2bSkrillex. We’ve invited Dutch trance legend Armin van Buurento go back-to-back with rising ‘psy-techno’ star Indira Paganotto, and there’s still space in the DJ booth for both local heroes - Andres Campo - and international titans - Vintage Culture. The sound of trance to come also lands at Sónar 2025 with DJ HEARTSTRING, while horsegiirL associate MCR-T’s live set mixes ghetto tech and trap. Palestinian artist Sama’ Abdulhadi is a true techno activist - come hear a defiant set from one of the most talented artists to emerge from the Middle Eastern underground. And if that wasn’t enough: we’re also repeating last year’s collaboration with much-missed club Printworks London, who’ll return to take over SonarLab for a second year running with high-impact stage design, lighting and visuals - more details on who’ll be playing on this incredible stage very soon.
Nathy Peluso’s not the only modern pop act to draw inspiration from dance music: whether it’s Polo & Pan’s retrofuturistic take on the classic French Touch sound, or Portuguese producer Branko, a mainstay in the Lisbon electronic scene for over two decades. And we can’t forget rising UK house star Barry Can’t Swim, who’ll DJ a melodic set full of classics old and new.On the flipside, there’s plenty of classic four-to-the-floor to be found, headlined of course by the return ofRichie Hawtin’s seminal minimal techno alter ego Plastikman. BICEP’sCHROMA AV/DJ is joined by a pair of UK-flavoured live sets from the Overmono brothers and afore-mentioned techno producer Blawan, as well as Galician-Catalan artist Cora Novoa’s brand new set, based on her latest album.
There’s also a healthy dose of dancefloor hedonism, with Peggy Gouand Honey Dijonleading the charge. You definitely won’t want to misselectrifying house and disco diva Jayda G, but make sure you also catch a seductive session from rising UK starElkka, and a scorching, synth-heavy set from Chilean artist Paula Tape. For fans of hypnotic, evocative dance music, Jennifer Loveless and Fafi Abdel Nour go back-to-back, while Shannen SP plays slow, bass-heavy selections, driven by the percussive grooves of South African amapiano. And heads up, if you’re into intense breakbeat-inspired rhythms you’ll need to see the brand-new audiovisual collaboration between Spanish scene veteran T.Modet and artist Carlotto Rose.More than just music We’re bringing the lab to the stage again, with multidisciplinary performances by artists who take live sets to the next level. Enigmatic electronic artist Actress teams up with the ‘diva of the diode’, modular synth pioneerSuzanne Ciani, for ‘Concrète Waves’, a new project co-commissioned by Sónar and London’s The Barbican. Ronex (LA)HORDE’s vast multidisciplinary project with Ballet National de Marseille,‘Room With A View’, combines soulful electronic music with dance and protest. Elsewhere, you’re invited to experience new audiovisual shows by Sónar regulars Max Cooper - Lattice 3D/AV -andDaito Manabe, and get to grips with Mexico City-based Brazilian researcher and activist KEBRA’s radical theories of ‘desculonización’, which tackle colonialism while getting asses moving.
We’re also proud to support a series of local artists who explore the dynamics between tradition and modernity. Vocal duo Tarta Relena’s new show ‘És pregunta’ has been jointly produced by Sónar and the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, with support from the Catalan Department of Culture. Make sure you see Yerai Cortés, whose‘Guitarra Coral’ show reconfigures traditional flamenco scenography. Raül Refreeand Niño de Elche’s new work ‘cru+es’ (crosses) explores the dualities of the cross - life and death, pain and joy, noise and silence. Finally, Catalan violinist ASIA transcends her classical training with an emotional and personal performance, ‘ASIA X’.Fast, loose, and without rules: the diverse sound of the frequency of now in 2025If we can predict one thing about the future, it’s that fast-paced club music is here to stay: from the aforementioned DJ HEARTSTRING and MCR-T to speed garage hero Interplanetary Criminal. Speed freaks can also catch the man leading the new wave of jungle, Tim Reaper, and a delightfully unpredictable bass-heavy back-to-back from Floreand Peder Mannerfelt.
The frequency of now is nothing if not diverse - and it’s sometimes even a bit punky. Alternative superstarArca defines both, as does Spanish queer phenomenon Samantha Hudson, who performs her new album‘Música para Muñecas’, inspired by hardcore and bakala. The future also brings fusion: rising Argentine artist Six Sex ushers in a new era of perreo, combining electronic allure with rave anthems, while French-Tahitian group 15 15 mix island dancehall and city r&b. Looking for a bit of old school bass wobble? Hamdi’s throwback dubstep will shake the very foundations of the festival. Juliana Huxtable and dj g2g are modern rave selectors, known for their rule-free, transgressive, and political takes on dance music, while Emerald has spent over a decade building a reputation as a true multi-genre DJ. There aren’t many corners of underground music that UK DJ Sarra Wild hasn’t explored - expect a radical set from the Glasgow-based artist. And of course, club music in 2025 is both polyrhythmic and polyglottal, as both Le Motel and ABADIR- as well as local artists DjSport, DJ Pacaand Baldman- would agree.
Sónar 2025 will be full of artists who look beyond the established boundaries of club music, incorporating elements from genres and places outside the dancefloor. Mythical Brazilian band TETO PRETO’s shows are explosive, provocative and political: part multicultural party and part punk show. Kenya’sLord Spikeheartis a one-man metal band, expanding the genre’s blueprint with influences from rap, industrial, and even trance: don’t miss his physical live show. Elsewhere, NEW YORKtake electronic music’s subversiveness and mix it with post-punk sarcasm, while B4mba & Mooki6 - members of Barcelona’s critical afrodiasporic collective, Jokkoo - perform their new live project Nexus, inspired by primal rhythms and mystical energies. Welcome to the frequency of now. Want to experience all of this (and more)? Get your ticket nowThere’s still more to be announced - including a full Sónar+D programme exploring the interactions between the creative industries, innovation and technology - and it’s all coming to Barcelona on the 12th, 13th, and 14th June next year.We want you to be a part of it. Get here your SonarPass (for all three days of Sónar by Day and both nights of Sónar by Night) or SonarPass+D (also includes access to exclusive Sónar+D activities).
+RAIN Film Festival, the pioneering European film festival for cinema generated exclusively with Artificial Intelligence, has announced the Open Call for its 2025 edition. The deadline is Sunday 9th March 2025. With the third edition of +RAIN already on the horizon, festival co-organisers Sónar and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra are consolidating the festival’s vision, which explores the aesthetic and narrative possibilities and ethical and political implications ofAI-generated cinema.Over the first two editions, the festival has acted as a unique showcase, exploring how audiovisual creation can be assisted by new creative technologies. In its first year, it received 45 film submissions, while in 2024, over 232 were submitted. As in the previous two years, films will be selected from among all entries received via the Open Call. The finalists will also participate in the festival, which will be held on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June at the UPF Poblenou Campus; and on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th June at Fira Montjuïc as part of theSónar+D programme at Sónar by Day.You can submit your AI-generated film to the Open Call now using this form.
