Dixon, Nathy Peluso, Polo & Pan, Hiroko Yamamura, and Six Sex among this year’s highlights.
Photo credit: Sónar Barcelona – Official
Sónar Barcelona marked its 32nd edition from June 12th to 14th, 2025, attracting 161,000 attendees throughout the week. With 52,500 at Sónar by Day, 66,500 at Sónar by Night, and 42,000 across OFFSónar and Sónar Week, the festival once again confirmed its place as a global benchmark for electronic and digital culture. Over 1,400 artists, exhibitors, and speakers participated across ten stages and multiple venues, reinforcing Barcelona’s role as a creative innovation hub.
Looking ahead to 2026, the festival will introduce a new chapter: for the first time, Sónar by Day, Sónar by Night, and Sónar+D will all take place at Fira Gran Via. This unified venue format is set to expand possibilities for both programming and experience, offering a reimagined structure for audiences and creators alike.
Here are some of the most impactful artists from the event.
Dixon
Innervisions mastermind Dixon returned to Sónar by Night on June 14th at the iconic Printworks stage—his first appearance in six years—delivering a set in complete accordance with the musical path he’s been on for the past few years. Opening with Jimi Jules’ emotionally loaded ‘Human Rights,’ he set the tone for the rest of the set, charged to the brim with unreleased goods from his label’s artists such as Âme, Trixon (Trikk + Dixon) and, of course, more Jimi Jules. The SonarLab x Printworks stage, with its towering lights and massive screen with minimalistic visuals, set the perfect mood for the music to shine throughout the almost two hours of his set. To the pleasant surprise of the die-hard artist fans, we got an additional 20 minutes of his music as the next act ended up being a no-show, and the German gladly played a few extra tracks until Sónar’s backup DJs arrived to cover what was left of the next slot.
Nathy Peluso
Taking the stage with exact punctuality, Nathy Peluso delivered a visually rich and sonically diverse live show. With her powerful vocals leading the way, she shifted seamlessly between genres, drawing heavily from her latest release, ‘GRASA’. The track ‘Todo Roto’, her collaboration with Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, stood out amid retro-modern psychedelic visuals that leaned into cinematic territory. Her performance highlighted the duality of her Argentine roots and Spanish connection, blending salsa, hip-hop, pop, and boleros into a theatrical, high-energy set. Though more a spectacle to witness than a dancefloor moment, Peluso’s charisma and bold stagecraft made for an arresting presence throughout.
Six Sex
In a concentrated, 45-minute burst, Six Sex turned the stage into a raw and provocative rave. Her set—a hybrid of harsh reggaetón and rave, self-described as “ravetón”—delivered unapologetically direct lyrics over high-impact beats. The visuals were as confronting as the sound, creating a total environment where identity, chaos, and movement clashed freely. The energy never dipped, and while Six Sex’s onstage presence was attention-grabbing, the collective atmosphere took over, turning the set into an inclusive, uninhibited celebration of underground spirit.
Polo & Pan
Providing contrast and levity, French duo Polo & Pan offered a meticulously aesthetic experience built around brightness and joy. Their stage design was minimal yet vivid—two figures facing each other on a white platform surrounded by colored lighting, all echoing the playful tones of their music. Their signature mix of house, disco, and pop was delivered with remarkable sound clarity. The addition of Victoria Lafaurie elevated the set further, her smooth vocals and hypnotic delivery perfectly complementing the duo’s lush arrangements. The result was a performance both beautiful and danceable—an escape into color and warmth.
Hiroko Yamamura
Hiroko Yamamura’s set for Sonar by Night on June 14th was a raw, Chicago‑infused techno set that crackled with industrial and gothic tension. Armed with analog grit and DIY punk energy, she shredded through a relentless barrage of acid-tinged, pulse‑driven tracks, keeping us on our toes with shifting BPM numbers throughout her set. Some of the artists featured in her set were Justice and Raxon, in heavily sped-up versions of the originals yet without sounding off. The atmosphere was charged—no frills, just visceral sonic rigor that held the crowd in rapt focus. The audience was fully immersed, heads down and bodies moving, caught in her dark, uncompromising groove. As her set closed, there was no smooth fade-out—just abrupt, unapologetic silence.
For more info and tickets for Sónar 2026, visit the official website here.
