Revealing Project Area 202570+ exhibits revealed including AI gadgets, a symbiotic spa and a robot tea ceremony
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. 
Sónar+D NewsSee all
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.
Sónar +D is an event like no other. It’s the only place where you’ll find everything from radical performances and unique talks to interactive installations and conferences where you don't sit down. It’s where innovation and creativity goes far beyond art and music, exploring the new shared spaces of the creative industries over a three-day programme, fully integrated into Sónar by Day. This year’s edition once again includes eye-opening forums, panels, talks and our unique interactive exhibition space, Project Area. And of course, radical performances that bridge the gap between music, visual arts, dance and theatre. It’s a programme that’s aimed at - and brings together - artists, technologists, scientists, visionaries and radical minds from various fields: from audiovisual, music, engineering, quantum computing and interface design. This year, we’ve organised Sónar+D 2025 around three main themes, as announced in January. ‘AI + Creativity’ (where we explore new applications and alternative approaches to the use of AI in music and the wider creative sector), ‘Futuring the creative industries’ (where we invite professionals from the sector share their experiences and new perspectives on curation and creation), and ‘Worlds to come’ (where together with the most radical minds around, we imagine new worlds: everything from non-binary futurism to terraforming and interstellar travel). AI + Creativity: new tools, applications and alternative approaches to the use of AI in sound and audiovisual design Looking beyond mainstream generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, this year we’re highlighting the most innovative tools and unconventional approaches to AI in the creative sector. Going further, we’re also providing a humanist perspective on this ever-evolving technology, as we tackle the ethical and political battles taking place in latent space .The following activities are aimed primarily at creators of all kinds, as well as professionals working within the creative industries. It all kicks off with ‘Introducing AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS’: an open forum organised in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Culture - Towards Mondiacult 2025, which opens the festival on Thursday 12 June. The forum will bring together expert researchers in Human/Computer Interaction and music AI from University of Barcelona and the University of the Arts London, as well as artists and representatives from organisations like Stability AI and Instrument Inventors Initiative. Another of this year’s highlights is the third edition of +RAIN Film Festival, the first international film festival dedicated to cinema created exclusively with artificial intelligence in Europe, co-produced by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Sónar. Here you’ll be able to learn about the creative process behind a film made with AI, how directors are using AI in film production, as well as how creators are interacting with this technology in general. This years prize-winning films will also be screened during a special session at Sónar+D. The rest of the content of this block falls under AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS, a multi-year initiative that sees Sónar dedicate a significant portion of its programming to exploring innovations in this rapidly evolving field. Highlights include ‘Territorios sonoros emergentes’, an audiovisual performance by multidisciplinary collective AudioStellar which uses motion-tracking technology and artificial intelligence, and Bangkok-based researcher ญาบอยฮานอย / yaboihanoi, who uses AI in a unique way, fusing experimental electronic music with Southeast Asian cultural traditions. ‘A musical understanding of AI as resonance’ is a project by artist, researcher and performer Marije Baalman, where she reflects on the (oft forgotten) human side of technology. In the same vein, ‘Automating Bodies: Power, Music and AI’ finds researcher Joanne Armitage investigating the dynamics of power between technology and physical bodies. They’re joined by a pair of radical researchers: Jordi Pons from Stability AI and Rebeca Fiebrink. Both will reflect on the future for AI and music: Jordi asks what kind of music is being made with AI in ‘Artistic Trends, Music & AI’ while in ‘Design your dream music AI tool’, Rebecca asks us to think of how we’d like music and AI to work for us. Finally, we’re hosting the second edition of ‘AI Performance Playground’: a hacklab for 12 participants who have been selected through our Open Call in February. These selected participants will spend three days working with AI applied to engineering or music, under the direction Anna Xambó, with the support of La Salle-URL’s IASLab. You’ll be able to witness the fruits of their labour in a public performance on Saturday at Sónar+D. And of course, there are also performances, headlined by the latest work from Catalan vocalist and composer Maria Arnal. With a long history of incorporating AI into her musical practice, this year she’s premiering ‘Ama’ at Sónar, a never-before-seen show that sees her take the next step as an artist. Alongside her are other exclusive live shows and premieres by live performances by the British audiovisual artist and experimental musician patten, ‘Hyporeal’ by Amnesia Scanner’s Ville Haimala and ‘Phenomena’, an experimental project by Spanish producer and vocalist duo R-010 and Venerandi. +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': new perspectives and lessons for professionals in the sector This thematic axis of Sónar+D 2025 is aimed specifically at professionals in the creative sector, providing a space for learning, inspiration and reflection on the changes that will define the future of these industries. The activities below address the needs and challenges of those working in programming, curating, cultural management, as well as communication, advertising, experience design, trend research and other related fields. It all kicks off with ‘How to future the creative industries’, a forum bringing together high level experts in curation from institutions around the globe, such as the New Museum in Manhattan, Serpentine Galleries, Tabakalera and the Onassis Foundation, among others. Together, they’ll explore the changing mission of cultural institutions in a world of increasingly digital art, drawing on their own unique perspectives and experiences. Elsewhere, one of the most recognised voices in emerging art, Salome Asega, director of NEW INC - the New Museum's digital arts incubator - will explore how her institutional role - which she compares to architecture - coexists with her own artistic practice, or as she terms it, ‘gardening’. Continuing with the programme,‘MAT(H)RASH: a new art manifesto’, addresses the emergence of new pop art aesthetics, inspired by memes and monstrosity. Spanish cultural analyst Julieta Wibel and technologist Mike Fernandez will lead the discussion, joined by radical artists Samantha Hudson and YESSi PERSE. The Sónar+D programme also includes several activities organised under the framework of TIMES, a collaborative project composed of Sónar and nine other leading European festivals. You can take in both TIMES co-creations from 2024: ‘Białowieża’ by Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk, and ‘A Forbidden Distance’ by Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori. The second co-creation also premieres this year at Sónar by Day: ‘The Talk’ is a multidisciplinary performance based on the world's first computer, the Ancient Greek Antikythera, created by musicians HEITH and James K, together with artist-researcher Günseli Yalcinkaya and set designer Andrea Belosi. Additionally, Sónar+D and TIMES have collaborated to present a unique panel featuring various curators and artistic directors of festivals, creative spaces and museums: ‘Cracks in the foundation: Curation in 2025’.
The workshops ‘Hacking the world’ and ‘Aquelarre Futurista’ will bring a critical vision of the present and the future. Trend analysts Berta Segura and Francesca Tur, together with a selection of special invitees, lead a pair of interactive sessions that explore how geopolitics, technology and digital culture are shaping audiences and the interactions between artists and audiences today and in the future. This year Sónar+D also hosts a replica of the apse of the church of Sant Climent de Taüll where you’ll find ‘Lux Mundi’, a spectacular audiovisual experience created by four digital artists - Alba G. Corral, Massó, Desilence and Hamill Industries - together with the vocal duo Tarta Relena, that reimagines the fresco paintings of this Romanesque jewel. All under an initiative of the Generalitat de Catalunya. MusicTech Europe, also returns to Sónar+D this year with a special programme of activities, organised together with Barcelona Music Tech Hub. Included is the closing ceremony of the Music Tech Europe Academy, presenting the startups selected as part of this academy programme, as well as a special session of MusicTech Dialogues. ‘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': other possible worlds imagined by curious and inquiring minds This part of the progamme is full of things you won't expect: from quantum computing and non-binary futurism to terraforming and interstellar travel. You’ll find a whole range of activities, in various different formats, that imagine new worlds and invite you to discover them for the first time. Libby Heaney, doctor in quantum science and the first artist in the world to use quantum computing in art, asks the public to rethink the planetary status quo from a non-binary point of view in her audiovisual lecture ‘Eat my Multiverse’. And under the banner of ‘Cosmic Metabolism’, Xin Liu explores her own understanding of this term, using examples from her work - which includes actions such as sending her own wisdom tooth into space, as an extension of a Chinese tradition. Plus, in ‘Questions of Automation’, Australian artist and environmental engineer Tega Brain asks us to rethink the automated processes of our 24/7 world. You can also witness neurohacking live on stage at Sónar+D 2025. Experimental artist Albert.DATA, holder of a PhD in Cognitive Sciences, explores the limits of technology and the human brain in ‘SYNAPTICON’, a performance that uses brain-computer interfaces to expose his thoughts and emotions to the audience in real-time. In a continuation of this theme, you can also take part in a live video game, courtesy of Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley. The ground-breaking artist invites the audience to participate in her imaginative retelling of stories from black trans community in an interactive ‘playformance’ session, ‘WE CAN'T PRETEND ANYMORE’, that falls halfway between video game and performance.
Under the umbrella of TIMES, radical astrologers Alice Sparkly Kat and Manuka Honey will invite the audience to examine their preconceptions in ‘Listen, the stars are talking’, which will also examine how astrology influences pop culture and plays a crucial role in many artist’s work. And of course, there are plenty more ground-breaking performances. One of the most interesting dance companies around today, Catalan contemporary group LaSADCUM, multidimensional flesh and blood avatar duo YESSi PERSE for ‘CYBERMEDIEVAL’ an audiovisual show that critiques the new ‘techno-feudalism’. For the world premiere of 'replica — relic', sound artist and musician Dania and visual artist Mau Morgó have created 3-D-printed instruments using photos of Mesopotamian artefacts from the British Museum, questioning our commitment to decolonisation. In the same line, ‘The Drum and the Bird’, co-commissioned by Sonar, Berlin Atonal, Rewire and Terraforma, is an audiovisual narrative created by Bill Kouligas and research group Forensis that explores the legacy of German colonialism in Namibia. And that’s in addition to brand-new shows from Safety Trance, Vica Pacheco, and a special audiovisual show created just for Sónar, by Alice Sparkly Kat and local visual artist duo Akyute. Albert.DATA ‘SYNAPTICON’ (ES) | 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’ll reveal details on the rest of the programme very soon, including information about our brand-new Communities programme and the full lineup for Lounge+D. We’ll also announce the 70 projects that will appear at the most exciting edition of Project Area to date, including many that have been selected via the Open Call we held at the end of 2024. If you want to get the full Sónar+D experience - including exclusive activities from 10am and the entire Lounge+D programme on Thursday and Friday - you’ll need to grab SonarPass+D or Sónar by Day Pass here. Remember that you’ll be able to access all other Sónar+D activities (including Project Area, Complex+D and Stage+D) with any ticket that gets you into Sónar by Day. Welcome to the frequency of now
Under the umbrella of TIMES, radical astrologers Alice Sparkly Kat and Manuka Honey will invite the audience to examine their preconceptions in ‘Listen, the stars are talking’, which will also examine how astrology influences pop culture and plays a crucial role in many artist’s work. And of course, there are plenty more ground-breaking performances. One of the most interesting dance companies around today, Catalan contemporary group LaSADCUM, multidimensional flesh and blood avatar duo YESSi PERSE for ‘CYBERMEDIEVAL’ an audiovisual show that critiques the new ‘techno-feudalism’. For the world premiere of 'replica — relic', sound artist and musician Dania and visual artist Mau Morgó have created 3-D-printed instruments using photos of Mesopotamian artefacts from the British Museum, questioning our commitment to decolonisation. In the same line, ‘The Drum and the Bird’, co-commissioned by Sonar, Berlin Atonal, Rewire and Terraforma, is an audiovisual narrative created by Bill Kouligas and research group Forensis that explores the legacy of German colonialism in Namibia. And that’s in addition to brand-new shows from Safety Trance, Vica Pacheco, and a special audiovisual show created just for Sónar, by Alice Sparkly Kat and local visual artist duo Akyute. Albert.DATA ‘SYNAPTICON’ (ES) | 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’ll reveal details on the rest of the programme very soon, including information about our brand-new Communities programme and the full lineup for Lounge+D. We’ll also announce the 70 projects that will appear at the most exciting edition of Project Area to date, including many that have been selected via the Open Call we held at the end of 2024. If you want to get the full Sónar+D experience - including exclusive activities from 10am and the entire Lounge+D programme on Thursday and Friday - you’ll need to grab SonarPass+D or Sónar by Day Pass here. Remember that you’ll be able to access all other Sónar+D activities (including Project Area, Complex+D and Stage+D) with any ticket that gets you into Sónar by Day. Welcome to the frequency of now
Tickets Sónar+DSee all tickets
