Sama' Abdulhadi withdraws from Sónar over KKR ownership
The Palestinian DJ and producer had been scheduled to perform at the festival on Friday
Sama' Abdulhadi has pulled out of this year's Sónar citing the Barcelona-based festival's ties to KKR, the owner of its parent company Superstruct.
In a statement shared via Instagram on June 10, the Palestinian DJ and producer wrote: "I can and will not be associated with festivals or institutions backed by KKR, which means I will not be performing at Sónar festival this Friday."
"Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing ongoing developments with regards to [Sónar], which culminated in Sonar agreeing to almost everything we asked for. They dropped McDonald’s and Coca-Cola as sponsors, and agreed to a host of other demands," she writes, referencing an statement last week in response to Sónar agreeing to drop their partnerships with the BDS listed brands — which reportedly came following pressure from a number of local activist groups.
Read this next: Sónar removes McDonalds and Coca-Cola as sponsors following pressure from BDS movement
"However, the main issue has not been resolved — and that is the involvement of KKR," Abdulhadi continues. "A U.S.-based global investment firm with significant holdings in companies that actively support or maintain economic ties with the Israeli state. This includes investments in tech, security, and infrastructure companies that directly contribute to the occupation and oppression of Palestinians."
Sónar has faced weeks of boycott calls and artist withdrawals over the alleged investments of KKR — the world's second largest investment firm which acquired the four-day electronic and arts festival's parent company, Superstruct, in June 2024.
Last month, more than 70 artists signed an open letter calling on Sónar to publicly distance itself from KKR's "complicit investments", including reported stakes in weapons manufacturing companies, the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and a number of Israeli corporations that operate in occupied Palestinian territories.
Sónar released a statement condemning the alleged investments, claiming that it will never send “a single Euro” to KKR: “Superstruct's publicly stated position is clear on this: 'All revenue and profits from Superstruct events and festivals remains entirely within our business and goes towards the ongoing development and staging of our festivals across the world.'”
Read this next: Sónar issues statement on ownership: “We distance ourselves from any action taken by KKR”
Other Superstruct-owned events have faced similar boycott calls in recent months, including Field Day, Boiler Room, and Mighty Hoopla.
"The line between Zionist and anti-Zionist has never been clearer. You are either for freedom and justice, or you are complicit in genocide. There is no more standing in the middle," Abdulhadi adds. "As always free Palestine."
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter
