Sonar Festival Boycott: Artists Support Palestine
Dozens of artists are boycotting the Sonar electronic music festival in Barcelona, protesting its financial links to Israeli-occupied territories—a importent blow to the event. The primary_keyword, the boycott, centers on the festival’s parent company, Superstruct Entertainment, and its majority owner, the private equity firm KKR. Artists, including Arca and Shaun J. Wright,cite KKR’s alleged complicity in the “genocide committed by Israel.” The Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is gaining traction,urging Sonar to cut ties with KKR. News Directory 3 reports on the Spanish Culture Minister’s concerns,adding pressure. With KKR yet to respond, what will be the repercussions of this secondary_keyword artist protest? Discover what’s next.
Artists Boycott Sonar Festival Over Ties to Israeli-Occupied Territories
Updated June 9, 2025
More than 60 artists, including Arca, Asia, DJ Paquita Gordon, and Shaun J. Wright, have pulled out of the Sonar electronic music festival in Barcelona, scheduled for June 12-14. The artists are protesting the financial connections between the festival’s parent company, Superstruct Entertainment, and real estate investments in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Superstruct Entertainment has been majority-owned by KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) sence October 2024.
In an open letter shared on social media, the artists accused KKR of being “fully complicit in the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza.” they are urging Sonar to cut ties with KKR and embrace the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which aims to pressure Israel financially to end its occupation.
The BDS movement alleges KKR is complicit in ”Israel’s genocide and colonial apartheid regime,” pointing to KKR’s stake in German media group Axel Springer, which owns the Israeli classifieds site Yad2. BDS claims Yad2 lists real estate projects in occupied Palestinian territories.
Sonar, on its website, stated that KKR’s acquisition of Superstruct shares was “purely financial” and that the festival had no influence on the transaction.
“We categorically condemn the genocide of the Palestinian people,” the festival said. “At no time have we ever sent — nor will we ever send — a single euro to KKR.”
Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun previously expressed concern over 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,” Urtasun told reporters last month.
KKR has not yet responded to requests for comment. Spain, ireland, and Norway officially recognized a palestinian state in May 2024, a move condemned by Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in gaza.
What’s next
The impact of the artist boycott on the Sonar festival remains to be seen, but it highlights the growing pressure on cultural institutions to address ethical concerns related to investments and international conflicts.