Discover Sónar+D 2025A lineup like no other. Unveiling the main programme for the ‘conference’ where you don’t sit down
An event like no other
Where you don’t sit down We might be a conference, but we think like concert or club night, with talks and panels side-by-side with radical performances and our interactive exhibition space Project Area.Where you meet people you won’t meet anywhere elseDifferent worlds collide at Sónar+D, the only conference with a music festival attached. Our participants and audience are a unique mix of backgrounds, interests and expertise.Where you take the future home with youGet to know the future before it becomes the present. Our programming balances imaginative ideas and bold thinking with practical content and networking opportunities. 
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With Sónar 2025 now clearly on the horizon it’s time to take a moment to introduce an integral part of the festival’s DNA. Sónar+D is our annual programme of activities exploring the shared spaces between the creative industries, innovation and technology. Featuring talks and panel discussions, radical performances, and an interactive exhibition space, all integrated into Sónar by Day, it’s where you’ll find some of our most unique content. The Sónar+D 2025 programme will be grouped under three key themes - AI + Creativity, Futuring the creative industries, and Worlds to come - which are unveiled today, ahead of the full programme announcement coming in March. We’ve also redesigned the Sónar+D section on our web, where you’ll be able to find all information and news about Sónar+D as it becomes available in the coming months. AI+Creativity
More than just ChatGPT and Midjourney, with activities that look beyond mainstream AI discourse. We’ll highlight innovative tools and unconventional approaches to AI, and shine a light on alternative perspectives on this ever-evolving technology. We’ll also explore how AI - when misused - can amplify the issues that are endemic in our societies, with a focus on the ethical and political battles taking place within latent space. Combining practical insights with philosophical context, we want to help you navigate the future of AI in the creative industries. Futuring the creative industries We want to know what the creative industries will look like in 2030. As changing audiences and technology takes us away from traditional models of cultural organisation, we want to explore new perspectives on both creation and curation. How are artists and institutions changing the way they create and showcase their work? What role will a festival, a museum or a venue have in five years’ time? Discover how organisations and individuals are driving innovation in art and culture today and how they’re preparing for the future. Worlds to come Sónar+D has always been interested in the future of the future. From quantum computing and non-binary futurism to terraforming and interstellar travel, we want to uncover what the future holds, with activities designed to inspire, provoke and challenge. We know that our ability to imagine new worlds can help us find solutions to today’s problems: from sustainability and climate change to governance and ethics. And we want to give you the opportunity to be the first to explore these radical concepts and ideas as they take shape. But what exactly is Sónar+D? We’ve tried to define Sónar+D many times over the years, and we think the best response is: an event like no other. The ‘conference’ where you don’t sit down…
As the only ‘conference’ with a festival included, we think of Sónar+D like a concert or a club night: we want you to move around and see things from different angles. That’s why our programme is both interactive and multi-disciplinary, with talks and panels side-by-side with radical performances and our unique exhibition space, Project Area. Our curation is as diverse, forward-thinking and future-facing as the music you’ll find on the Sónar lineup.
…where you meet people you don’t meet anywhere else…We want to bring people from different worlds together at Sónar+D. We offer a unique mix of participants and audience you won’t find together anywhere else, with professionals from creative industries and tech experts mingling with radical thinkers and curious members of the public. And by integrating our programme into Sónar by Day - with most activities open to the general public - we create a unique atmosphere, allowing conversations to flow differently. …and where you take the future home with you. We want you to help you get to know the future before it becomes part of the present. In a world where the future is arriving faster and faster, we want to provide a space to think about these changes in broad terms, as well as practical, tangible knowledge you can use. When you leave Sónar+D, we want you to leave with something new: an idea, a contact, or even just a fresh perspective on something.
There’ll be more news on Sónar+D - including the full programme announcement - coming this March. Welcome to the frequency of now.
More than just ChatGPT and Midjourney, with activities that look beyond mainstream AI discourse. We’ll highlight innovative tools and unconventional approaches to AI, and shine a light on alternative perspectives on this ever-evolving technology. We’ll also explore how AI - when misused - can amplify the issues that are endemic in our societies, with a focus on the ethical and political battles taking place within latent space. Combining practical insights with philosophical context, we want to help you navigate the future of AI in the creative industries. Futuring the creative industries We want to know what the creative industries will look like in 2030. As changing audiences and technology takes us away from traditional models of cultural organisation, we want to explore new perspectives on both creation and curation. How are artists and institutions changing the way they create and showcase their work? What role will a festival, a museum or a venue have in five years’ time? Discover how organisations and individuals are driving innovation in art and culture today and how they’re preparing for the future. Worlds to come Sónar+D has always been interested in the future of the future. From quantum computing and non-binary futurism to terraforming and interstellar travel, we want to uncover what the future holds, with activities designed to inspire, provoke and challenge. We know that our ability to imagine new worlds can help us find solutions to today’s problems: from sustainability and climate change to governance and ethics. And we want to give you the opportunity to be the first to explore these radical concepts and ideas as they take shape. But what exactly is Sónar+D? We’ve tried to define Sónar+D many times over the years, and we think the best response is: an event like no other. The ‘conference’ where you don’t sit down…
As the only ‘conference’ with a festival included, we think of Sónar+D like a concert or a club night: we want you to move around and see things from different angles. That’s why our programme is both interactive and multi-disciplinary, with talks and panels side-by-side with radical performances and our unique exhibition space, Project Area. Our curation is as diverse, forward-thinking and future-facing as the music you’ll find on the Sónar lineup.
…where you meet people you don’t meet anywhere else…We want to bring people from different worlds together at Sónar+D. We offer a unique mix of participants and audience you won’t find together anywhere else, with professionals from creative industries and tech experts mingling with radical thinkers and curious members of the public. And by integrating our programme into Sónar by Day - with most activities open to the general public - we create a unique atmosphere, allowing conversations to flow differently. …and where you take the future home with you. We want you to help you get to know the future before it becomes part of the present. In a world where the future is arriving faster and faster, we want to provide a space to think about these changes in broad terms, as well as practical, tangible knowledge you can use. When you leave Sónar+D, we want you to leave with something new: an idea, a contact, or even just a fresh perspective on something.
We’re revealing the main programme for Sónar+D 2025 - an event like no other - today. This year’s programme focuses on the minds and ideas that are shaping the present and the future, covering everything from digital sustainability and non-binary futurism to terraforming, space exploration, neurohacking and emerging trends in internet culture. We’ve organised Sónar+D 2025 around three main themes, announced back in January. Under AI + Creativity, we’re highlighting innovative tools and unconventional approaches to AI in the creative sphere, while also looking at the ethical and political battles taking place within latent space. In Futuring the creative industries, we explore new perspectives on curation and creation, asking what they’ll look like in five years time. And for Worlds to come, we turn our gaze to the future of the future, looking at how humanity’s ability to imagine new worlds can help find solutions to current problems.
This year’s programme features over a hundred activities - we’ll announce full details of our interactive exhibition space Project Area and a brand-new Communities programme in the coming weeks - designed to inspire, educate and help you connect with other attendees. Whether you work in the creative industries, come from the tech world, specialise in marketing and trendwatching, or just want to explore, we’re certain that there’s plenty for you. Remember, any ticket for Sónar by Day will give you access to the majority of the activities - including all of the performances - but if you want to get the full Sónar+D experience, including exclusive morning sessions on Thursday and Friday, you’ll need to buy a Sónar by Day Pass or SonarPass+D. AI + Creativity +RAIN Film Festival (INT) | AI Performance Playground (INT) | AudioStellar present ‘Territorios sonoros emergentes’ (AR) | Introducing AI & Music (INT) | ‘Automating Bodies: Power, Music and AI’ with Joanne Armitage (UK) | ‘Artistic trends in Music AI’ with Jordi Pons (Stability AI) (ES) | Maria Arnal presents ‘Ama’ (ES) | ‘A musical understanding of AI as resonance’ with Marije Baalman (NL) | R-010 & Venerandi present ‘Phenomena’ (ES) | ‘Design your dream music AI tool’ with Rebecca Fiebrink (UK) | Ville Haimala presents ‘Hyporeal’ (FI/DE) | ‘Lemongrass & Bass: A Thai Recipe for AI Music’ with ญาบอยฮานอย yaboihanoi (TH) Futuring the creative industries ‘Aquelarre Futurista’ with Berta Segura & Francesca Tur (ES) | Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk present ‘Białowieża’ (UK/(PL) | Cracks in the foundation: Curation in 2025 (INT) | ‘Hacking the world’ with Berta Segura & Francesca Tur (ES) | Heith, James K and Günseli Yalcinkaya present ‘The Talk’ live AV (EU) | How to future the creative industries (INT) | ‘MAT(H)RASH’: un nuevo manifesto del arte, de Julieta Wibel y Mike Fernandez con Samantha Hudson y YESSi PERSE (ES) | Music Tech Europe Academy: Startups Pitch Session (EU/ES) | Music Tech Dialogues: Creative Economy Data + DEMODAY (EU/ES) | Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori present ‘A Forbidden Distance’ (INT) | Salome Asega ‘Architect or Gardener’ (US) Worlds to come Albert.DATA ‘SYNAPTICON’ (ES) | Animistic Beliefs & Jeisson Drenth present ‘Thức Tỉnh’ AV (NL) | Dania + Mau Morgó present ‘replica — relic’ (IQ-AU/ES) | ‘WE CAN’T PRETEND ANYMORE’ with Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley (UK) | Forensis & Bill Kouligas present ‘The Drum and The Bird’ (INT) | ‘Eat my Multiverse’ with Libby Heaney, presented by SEIDOR (UK) | Alice Sparkly Kat & Manuka Honey ‘Listen, the stars are talking’ (US/UK) | Safety Trance presents ‘DESTRUCCIÓN’ (VE) | ‘Questions of Automation’ with Tega Brain (AU) | Vica Pacheco presents ‘ITA’ AV (MX) | ‘Cosmic Metabolism’ with Xin Liu (CN) | YESSi PERSE & laSADCUM present ‘CYBERMEDIEVAL’ (ES) We want Sónar+D to be the ‘conference’ where you don’t sit down, which is why you’ll find interactive forums and panels next to radical multidisciplinary performances and audiovisual lectures.
Some highlights from today’s announcement include the first-ever artist to work with quantum computing, Libby Heaney (presented by SEIDOR); ‘eccentric engineer’ and digital environmental activist Tega Brain; accessible technology champion and Wekinator inventor Rebecca Fiebrink; extraterrestrial artist/engineer Xin Liu; music AI genius ญาบอยฮานอย yaboihanoi; neurohacker Albert.DATA; interactive artist Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley, and revolutionary astrologers Alice Sparkly Kat & Manuka Honey.
Sónar+D is also where you’ll meet people you won’t find together anywhere else. That’s why across the programme, you’ll see representatives from renowned cultural institutions including the New Museum, Serpentine Gallery, Tabakalera, and the Onassis Foundation; academic and research organisations such as Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, University of Arts London, La Salle-URL’s IASLab; and innovative companies like Stability AI.
They join a series of performances that include the premiere of ‘Ama’, Catalan vocalist Maria Arnal’s latest AI-augmented project; Forensis & Bill Kouligas’ examination of the legacies of German colonialism in Namibia; ‘The Drum and The Bird’ (co-commissioned by Berlin Atonal, Sónar, Rewire, and Terraforma) ; plus YESSi PERSE & laSADCUM’s ‘CYBERMEDIEVAL’, which sees the visual artist duo team up with a contemporary dance company and choir to satirise big tech and technofeudalism. A number of the activities fall under the aegis of two European initiatives. The TIMES collaborative project, formed of Sónar and 9 leading European festivals, contributes three unique multidisciplinary shows that have been co-created by the project over the past two years: Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk present 'Białowieża' and Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori present 'A Forbidden Distance'; plus Heith, James K and Günseli Yalcinkaya present 'The Talk' live AV. For the second year running, AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS returns with a pan-disciplinary programme including an introductory forum that brings together participants from across the programme, organised in collaboration with the Ministerio de Cultura de España - Towards Mondiacult 2025. There are also individual lectures by artists and researchers including Marije Baalman and Joanne Armitage, plus a series of brand-new shows, with the afore-mentioned Maria Arnal joined by Amnesia Scanner’s Ville Haimala, experimental musician and coder patten, and local producer-vocalist duo R-010 & Venerandi. +RAIN Film Festival, the festival dedicated to AI and cinema co-produced by Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Sónar also returns this year. The third edition features a four-day programme split between the UPF Poblenou campus, the CCCB and Sónar+D, highlighting the creative processes that directors are using when working with AI in cinema. This year at Sónar+D you’ll be also be able to watch a special screening of the winning films from the festival, which have been selected from over 250 international submissions received via the Open Call.
Digital creativity meets Catalan culture heritage with 'Lux Mundi'. Sónar+D will create a replica of the apse of the church of Sant Climent de Taüll in order to host ‘,’ a spectacular audiovisual experience created by four digital artists - and together with vocal duo that reinterprets the fresco paintings of this Romanesque gem. The piece was created to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the consecration of the churches of Sant Climent and Santa Maria de Taüll. ‘Lux Mundi’ is an initiative of the . For more information on the activities announced today, head to the Sónar+D microsite. And don’t forget to get a SonarPass+D or Sónar by Day Pass - which includes access to the entire Sónar+D 2025 programme, including exclusive morning sessions - at our tickets page here. Welcome to the frequency of now
This year’s programme features over a hundred activities - we’ll announce full details of our interactive exhibition space Project Area and a brand-new Communities programme in the coming weeks - designed to inspire, educate and help you connect with other attendees. Whether you work in the creative industries, come from the tech world, specialise in marketing and trendwatching, or just want to explore, we’re certain that there’s plenty for you. Remember, any ticket for Sónar by Day will give you access to the majority of the activities - including all of the performances - but if you want to get the full Sónar+D experience, including exclusive morning sessions on Thursday and Friday, you’ll need to buy a Sónar by Day Pass or SonarPass+D. AI + Creativity +RAIN Film Festival (INT) | AI Performance Playground (INT) | AudioStellar present ‘Territorios sonoros emergentes’ (AR) | Introducing AI & Music (INT) | ‘Automating Bodies: Power, Music and AI’ with Joanne Armitage (UK) | ‘Artistic trends in Music AI’ with Jordi Pons (Stability AI) (ES) | Maria Arnal presents ‘Ama’ (ES) | ‘A musical understanding of AI as resonance’ with Marije Baalman (NL) | R-010 & Venerandi present ‘Phenomena’ (ES) | ‘Design your dream music AI tool’ with Rebecca Fiebrink (UK) | Ville Haimala presents ‘Hyporeal’ (FI/DE) | ‘Lemongrass & Bass: A Thai Recipe for AI Music’ with ญาบอยฮานอย yaboihanoi (TH) Futuring the creative industries ‘Aquelarre Futurista’ with Berta Segura & Francesca Tur (ES) | Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk present ‘Białowieża’ (UK/(PL) | Cracks in the foundation: Curation in 2025 (INT) | ‘Hacking the world’ with Berta Segura & Francesca Tur (ES) | Heith, James K and Günseli Yalcinkaya present ‘The Talk’ live AV (EU) | How to future the creative industries (INT) | ‘MAT(H)RASH’: un nuevo manifesto del arte, de Julieta Wibel y Mike Fernandez con Samantha Hudson y YESSi PERSE (ES) | Music Tech Europe Academy: Startups Pitch Session (EU/ES) | Music Tech Dialogues: Creative Economy Data + DEMODAY (EU/ES) | Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori present ‘A Forbidden Distance’ (INT) | Salome Asega ‘Architect or Gardener’ (US) Worlds to come Albert.DATA ‘SYNAPTICON’ (ES) | Animistic Beliefs & Jeisson Drenth present ‘Thức Tỉnh’ AV (NL) | Dania + Mau Morgó present ‘replica — relic’ (IQ-AU/ES) | ‘WE CAN’T PRETEND ANYMORE’ with Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley (UK) | Forensis & Bill Kouligas present ‘The Drum and The Bird’ (INT) | ‘Eat my Multiverse’ with Libby Heaney, presented by SEIDOR (UK) | Alice Sparkly Kat & Manuka Honey ‘Listen, the stars are talking’ (US/UK) | Safety Trance presents ‘DESTRUCCIÓN’ (VE) | ‘Questions of Automation’ with Tega Brain (AU) | Vica Pacheco presents ‘ITA’ AV (MX) | ‘Cosmic Metabolism’ with Xin Liu (CN) | YESSi PERSE & laSADCUM present ‘CYBERMEDIEVAL’ (ES) We want Sónar+D to be the ‘conference’ where you don’t sit down, which is why you’ll find interactive forums and panels next to radical multidisciplinary performances and audiovisual lectures.
Sónar+D is also where you’ll meet people you won’t find together anywhere else. That’s why across the programme, you’ll see representatives from renowned cultural institutions including the New Museum, Serpentine Gallery, Tabakalera, and the Onassis Foundation; academic and research organisations such as Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, University of Arts London, La Salle-URL’s IASLab; and innovative companies like Stability AI.
They join a series of performances that include the premiere of ‘Ama’, Catalan vocalist Maria Arnal’s latest AI-augmented project; Forensis & Bill Kouligas’ examination of the legacies of German colonialism in Namibia; ‘The Drum and The Bird’ (co-commissioned by Berlin Atonal, Sónar, Rewire, and Terraforma) ; plus YESSi PERSE & laSADCUM’s ‘CYBERMEDIEVAL’, which sees the visual artist duo team up with a contemporary dance company and choir to satirise big tech and technofeudalism. A number of the activities fall under the aegis of two European initiatives. The TIMES collaborative project, formed of Sónar and 9 leading European festivals, contributes three unique multidisciplinary shows that have been co-created by the project over the past two years: Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk present 'Białowieża' and Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori present 'A Forbidden Distance'; plus Heith, James K and Günseli Yalcinkaya present 'The Talk' live AV. For the second year running, AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS returns with a pan-disciplinary programme including an introductory forum that brings together participants from across the programme, organised in collaboration with the Ministerio de Cultura de España - Towards Mondiacult 2025. There are also individual lectures by artists and researchers including Marije Baalman and Joanne Armitage, plus a series of brand-new shows, with the afore-mentioned Maria Arnal joined by Amnesia Scanner’s Ville Haimala, experimental musician and coder patten, and local producer-vocalist duo R-010 & Venerandi. +RAIN Film Festival, the festival dedicated to AI and cinema co-produced by Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Sónar also returns this year. The third edition features a four-day programme split between the UPF Poblenou campus, the CCCB and Sónar+D, highlighting the creative processes that directors are using when working with AI in cinema. This year at Sónar+D you’ll be also be able to watch a special screening of the winning films from the festival, which have been selected from over 250 international submissions received via the Open Call.
Digital creativity meets Catalan culture heritage with 'Lux Mundi'. Sónar+D will create a replica of the apse of the church of Sant Climent de Taüll in order to host ‘,’ a spectacular audiovisual experience created by four digital artists - and together with vocal duo that reinterprets the fresco paintings of this Romanesque gem. The piece was created to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the consecration of the churches of Sant Climent and Santa Maria de Taüll. ‘Lux Mundi’ is an initiative of the . For more information on the activities announced today, head to the Sónar+D microsite. And don’t forget to get a SonarPass+D or Sónar by Day Pass - which includes access to the entire Sónar+D 2025 programme, including exclusive morning sessions - at our tickets page here. Welcome to the frequency of now
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