US EditionSónar Festival Issues Statement on Controversial Owners KKR
- Barcelona's Sónar Festival issued statements in May 2025 responding to artist protests over its ownership by private equity firm KKR.
- Artists and the BDS Movement criticized KKR for investments in weapons, the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and Israeli corporations in occupied territories.
- Over 140 artists signed open letters, with some choosing to withdraw from Sónar as well as events owned by Superstruct, such as the London-based festival Field Day, the streaming platform Boiler Room, and the pop culture event Mighty Hoopla.
- Sónar emphasized that it does not support any actions undertaken by KKR and clarified that it has no influence or control over KKR's investment choices or decisions.
- The festival affirmed its 32-year independence in artistic and ethical direction, but the protests highlight ongoing tensions over KKR's ownership and ethical concerns.
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After growing criticism of owner KKR, the Sónar Festival positions itself. However, one does not respond to specific demands. The article Sónar Barcelona: Festival dissociates itself from owner KKR first appeared on Groove.
This article was originally published in Noticias para Municipios. Rivas Vaciamarid City Council has decided to cancel the collaboration agreement it had with the promoter ShareMusic! for the next few years, after knowing its connection with the pro-Israeli fund KKR, although it will maintain the celebration of the festivals ‘I love Reggaeton’, ‘Love the Twenties’ and ‘Love The 90s’ planned for the month of June. This has been transmitted by the…
The festival defends its independence from the investment fund KKR, after the call for a boycott against the event, and expresses "solidarity with the Palestinian civilian population"
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