A group of Spanish performers has withdrawn from several major cultural events in protest of ties to "Israel", citing the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

At the center of the protest is the Sonar music festival, scheduled to take place from 12 to 14 June in Barcelona. According to Anadolu Agency, 28 Spanish artists have announced their boycott of Sonar over the involvement of investment firm KKR, which reportedly maintains financial ties to projects linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Palestinians call for the boycott of Sónar festival

The Barcelona festival has failed to drop all of its complicit partnerships with BDS priority targets pic.twitter.com/rYZ0VtrLrg

— PACBI - BDS movement (@PACBI) June 2, 2025

The Sonar festival boycott 2025 has drawn international attention, particularly as it reflects a growing cultural rejection of Israeli affiliations amid mounting accusations of war crimes in Gaza. Artists who withdrew stated that their protest stems directly from KKR’s reported complicity in settlement construction and broader support for the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

In a collective statement, the performers emphasized that participating in festivals supported by institutions tied to "Israel" would make them complicit in the Gaza genocide.

Cultural boycott gains momentum in Spain

This latest development signals a broader wave of Spanish solidarity with Palestine, as musicians and artists call for greater accountability from cultural institutions. KKR’s involvement in financing or enabling illegal Israeli settlements has become a flashpoint for activists across the Spanish arts scene.

By linking corporate participation to human rights violations, the artists are challenging what they describe as the normalization of "Israel’s" role in the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or forcibly displaced during the current war.

In response to the boycott, Sonar released an official statement on its website claiming its stance on human rights. The organizers stated that they “strongly condemn the genocide suffered by the Palestinian people” and that they maintain “a clear stance regarding human rights.”

Despite the controversy, the festival has not confirmed whether it will sever ties with KKR or reassess its sponsorship policies moving forward.

As the Gaza genocide protest in Spain expands, it highlights the increasing pressure on global cultural platforms to take political and ethical positions in light of the Israeli genocide.

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