If you have plans for, or bookings at, Sónar Barcelona in 2027, hold off on changing them: the festival has declared itself "dead", but it has not cancelled anything, and its website still lists June 17-19, 2027.
On October 27, Sónar wiped its Instagram down to a single funeral video showing a coffin marked "Sónar 1994-2026", with the message "Sónar is dead" in Catalan, Spanish and English. The same day, an obituary-style advert ran in the print edition of Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia, and the website was replaced by a condolence book thanking fans.
The festival has not explained the campaign. According to La Vanguardia, organisers would neither confirm nor deny that it leads into an announcement, and Sónar usually reveals its first artists around this time of year.
The stunt follows two difficult years. In 2025 the festival faced an artist boycott over its owner Superstruct's links to investment firm KKR, and its founders left later that year. The 2026 edition then moved its whole music programme to Fira Gran Via.