Dozens of artists skip Barcelona’s Sónar festival in support of Palestinians

In an open letter posted on Instagram back in May (see below), more than 70 artists — including Arca, Asia, DJ Paquita Gordon, and Shaun J. Wright — accused the private equity firm KKR of being ‘fully complicit in the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza’.

Sónar has since confirmed 28 artists have so far pulled out of this month’s festival. Some were scheduled in the Sónar by Day section and others in Sónar by Night.

Sónar is one of around 80 global events operated by Superstruct Entertainment, which has been majority-owned by KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) since October 2024.

The artists are urging the festival to sever ties with KKR and to adhere to the principles of the international Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to financially pressure Israel into ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

BDS accuses KKR of complicity in ‘Israel’s genocide and colonial apartheid regime’, citing the firm’s stake in German media group Axel Springer.

That group owns Israeli classifieds site Yad2, which BDS says features listings for real estate projects in occupied Palestinian territories.

The Sónar festival said on its website that the 2024 acquisition of Superstruct shares by KKR and other investors was ‘purely financial’ and that Sónar had no say in the transaction.

In a public response to what it called ‘a grave humanitarian situation that has caused unease and concern’, Sónar issued a statement to voice its support for the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza.

‘At Sónar, we want to explicitly express our solidarity with the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, caught in the midst of an on-going humanitarian catastrophe,’ the statement started. 

‘We also extend this solidarity to all those who suffer the consequences of violence and the violation of human rights anywhere in the world. We care deeply about – and are affected by – the suffering of thousands of innocent people who endure the cruelty of war, occupation, and genocide, as witnessed by the international community.’

‘The participation of KKR as an investor in the festival sector has understandably raised questions and caused uncertainty,’ the statement continued. ‘In 2018, Sónar was acquired by Superstruct Entertainment. In the summer of 2024, Superstruct was in turn acquired by the investment firm KKR, amongst other investors.’

‘We want to make explicitly clear that Sónar distances itself from any action taken by KKR. We have no influence over – nor, of course, any control whatsoever – over their investments or decisions,’ Sónar said.

Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, a member of the left-wing Sumar alliance, voiced concern last month over what he described as KKR’s involvement in Spanish festivals and its business activities in ‘illegally occupied’ Palestinian territories.

‘We do not want a fund that actively contributes to the illegal occupation of Palestine to have a role in our cultural life,’ he told reporters.

Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated decision slammed by Israel.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is one of the most outspoken critics in the European Union of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. ALSO READ: Spain cancels €285m contract for anti-tank missiles built by Israeli subsidiary.