SONAR 2026 REVEALS A THIRD OF ITS LINEUP TODAY AND PRESENTS THE FIRST DETAILS OF ITS NEW FORMAT.

Sónar 2026 reveals today around 30% of an exciting lineup that will be as diverse, representative, and original as ever. In total, the festival will feature more than 100 shows. True to its mission over more than three decades, Sónar will continue to spotlight local and international talent and serve as a global reference platform for electronic and digital culture.

This first announcement already hints at its unique curatorship while setting the artistic direction for the upcoming edition, with a program that embraces a wide range of genres, languages, disciplines, generations, and artistic communities. Artists from across the entire electronic music spectrum will offer, in mid-June in Barcelona, a snapshot of the contemporary scene—from the avant-garde to the most popular sounds of club culture.

Kelis, the New York R&B legend, will perform at the festival for the first time in her more than 20-year career. She’ll land at Sónar ready to showcase her bold, innovative style, which blends her signature R&B with hip hop, soul, pop, and of course, electronic music. Sónar 2026 will also welcome Skepta, the most influential name in British rap and arguably the reason grime has become a global genre.

For the first time, the two reigning queens of global techno will coincide in the same edition of Sónar, each with a brand-new audiovisual show. Belgian DJ and producer Charlotte de Witte will present her recent self-titled album with a new performance, while her compatriot Amelie Lens brings AURA, a new concept centered around shadow, light, movement, and energy. Also joining the lineup is Dutch DJ and producer Chris Stussy, the latest major international star in house music.

There are artists without whom Sónar’s history simply wouldn’t be the same—like German duo Modeselektor, founders of Berlin’s Monkeytown Records and one of the most influential names in electronic avant-garde in recent decades. In 2026, they’ll present a completely new live show. Another leading European band announced today is Danish trio WhoMadeWho, who will also perform live at Sónar 2026 to present their latest work, continuing to explore new corners of experimental electronic pop.

The festival will also feature the debut of Cabaret Voltaire, the pioneering cult band formed in Sheffield in 1973. Early trailblazers of the British and European experimental electronic scene, their sound spans post-punk, synth-pop, industrial, techno, and acid house. Two of the band’s founding members, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson, will reunite on stage more than four decades later to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their legendary first show. Meanwhile, contemporary American composers Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore will present their upcoming 2026 album Tragic Magic, a work created using instruments from the historical collection of the Philharmonie de Paris. The concert will balance classical and modern elements, blending voice, harp, and synthesizers.

Club music is being deconstructed and rebuilt by DJs who never stop reinventing themselves, like Germany’s Boys Noize; by projects that test boundaries, such as French duo Ascendant Vierge; and by talents who shine from day one, like Madrid’s Alba Franch, Argentina’s La Sofy, Brazil’s Clementaum b2b LAZA—capable of mixing baile funk, tribal house, Jersey club, guaracha, and even raptor house at breakneck speed—and rising club superstars like KETTAMA (bringing a new album and a collaboration with Fred Again), DJ Gigola, and Colombia’s Funk Tribu.

Sónar maintains its focus on intergenerational house back-to-back sessions in 2026. This edition will pair MK (Marc Kinchen)—Detroit house legend known for hits like “Always”, “Love Changes”, and his remix of Nightcrawlers’ “Push The Feeling On”—with TSHA, a rising British producer whose sound spans melodic house, garage, and high-tempo club music.

Top-tier selectors will also be in attendance. American DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy will present Cosmodelica, a sensory journey through her vast record collection. Alongside her, the festival will host two four-handed sets: the energetic and eclectic Danielle will team up with Ryan Elliott for an unpredictable set, navigating techno and house between classic and modern styles; and Gerd Janson, head of Running Back, will push Marcel Dettmann to reveal his more house-leaning and hedonistic side. Curious listeners shouldn’t miss sets by Ogazón, DJ AYA, Joy Orbison, or RONI.

These last names hint at Sónar’s spotlight on sounds made in UK. Nia Archives returns to present new music live for the first time with a full band. Rising star Sammy Virji will unleash his UK garage sound, infused with bassline and drum’n’bass. Also arriving from London is riria, a Tokyo-born artist who blends amapiano, Jersey club, dancehall, and underground hip hop with commercial hits and cult classics.

Techno at Sónar 2026 will appear not only as a global phenomenon, but also in its most purist and psychedelic forms, with veteran national names like 30drop—presenting Insight Into Mind and Space with visual artist Santiago—younger talents like Madrid’s ISA (founder of Evolve Records), and rising Japanese DJ DJ MARIA.

François Jozic, director of Sónar, states: “Barcelona must once again become the capital of electronic culture, and Sónar 2026 will be a decisive step toward that future. We’ve designed a festival that not only celebrates music, but also integrates technology, art, and creativity into a unique experience—offering the ideal space for discovery. Barcelona will once again be the global epicenter of cultural innovation.”

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