YOUR FIRST LOOK AT SÓNAR 2026

words by VERONICA TLAPANCO SZABÓ

If the seasonal blues are starting to get to you, perhaps daydreaming about the summer ahead can help? Projection as a coping mechanism, if you will. Held in sun-drenched Barcelona, Sónar’s 33rd edition promises to do exactly what we adore, promote both local and international talent, all while acting as a global platform for electronic and digital culture. Sónar is a really special place because where else can you find R&B mingling with house, techno with dnb, grime and somehow, it all works? Over three days, the festival gathers the full spectrum of contemporary electronic music under one roof and this is what we know so far.

all images courtesy of SÓNAR

Among the first announced names are Kelis, Skepta, Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens, Modeselektor, Cabaret Voltaire, Nia Archives, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore, Ascendant Vierge, Chris Stussy, Sammy Virji, DJ Gigola… and the list goes on. Flip through the lineup (so far) and see if any of your favourites appear, chances are, they do.

Plenty of artists get called “unique,” but Kelis truly is one-of-a-kind. In the early 2000s, she gifted us some of the most enduring pop music ever. Her song Milkshake has absolutely played in your headphones at some point, whether that was last month through Katseye’s Gap jeans ad or on your iPod walking to middle school. After pausing her career to raise her son, she retreated to farm life before relocating to Kenya in 2025 and now, with new music on the horizon, her first since 2014, she’s undeniably our number-one must-see act.

Skepta! Without him, grime would never have gone global. His 2016 breakthrough Konnichiwa proved that grime could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with American hip-hop, (quite literally) featuring Pharrell Williams, Wiley, Chip, Jme, D Double E, and ASAP Nast. Need we say more?

And for those who like their music on the avant-garde, Ascendant Vierge is a must. Combining gabber and opera, a pairing that seems worlds apart yet somehow exceeds every expectation. Formed by baroque singer and artist Mathilde Fernandez alongside former gabber and producer Paul Seul, their performance is one you simply have to witness to believe.

How do you top one of the most unforgettable techno sets ever? If you’re Charlotte de Witte, you simply do it all over again. Since her last Sónar performance in 2024 with Overdrive, she’s been keeping busy with the release of her debut album, aptly titled Charlotte de Witte. 

And, for the first time in festival history, the musical programming will take place all in one venue: the Fira Gran Via hall, complete with revised opening times and a single, seamless ticket from afternoon through evening. So, tell us will we see you there?