DJs and electronic musicians sign open letter urging Field Day to distance itself from KKR

Numerous figures from the UK electronic music industry have signed an open letter urging London festival Field Day to distance itself from global investment firm KKR, the parent company of its owner Superstruct Entertainment. 

Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, Brian Eno, I. JORDAN, Midland, Jyoty, Pangaea, Rrose, Debonair, and Ben UFO are among the more than 50 signatories of the letter.

Shared yesterday (29th April), the letter has been put together by members of the Sisu collective, who wrote: “We are a coalition of artists—including many who have been booked to play Field Day in the past and present—who come together to stand against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to stand for all rights of the Palestinian people under international law”

“KKR invests billions of pounds in companies which, for example, develop Israeli underground data centres, and advertise real estate on illegally occupied land in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“While we understand that this acquisition was not the choice of Field Day, it nonetheless means that the festival is now implicated in the crimes against humanity of apartheid and genocide”

The letter is urging Field Day to “publicly distance itself from KKR to the fullest extent it possibly can, by taking a clear stance against KKR’s complicit investments as well as outlining its position on the genocide of Palestinians, in an official statement,” and to “adopt an ethical programming and partnerships policy”.

The letter also demands that Field Day “respect and uphold” Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) guidelines. “Field Day has an urgent and profound legal and moral obligation to take a clear stand against KKR’s complicity.”

Read the open letter in full here.

The letter follows last month’s statement from Boiler Room surrounding its ties to Superstruct Entertainment, which acquired the music and events platform in January, four years after it was acquired by DICE. In its statement, Boiler Room underlined its “unapologetically pro-Palestine” stance after a number of artists, including Ikonika and 8ULENTINA, cancelled or turned down their appearances at its events due to its connections to KKR. 

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) later issued a statement responding to Boiler Room’s post on 26th March. Published on the BDS website, PACBI endorsed Boiler Room’s publicised distancing from KKR, and said it “calls on all other Superstruct-owned live music events to distance themselves from KKR’s investments in Israel’s complicit tech sector”.

Superstruct already has a portfolio of more than 80 major events across Europe, including prominent electronic music festivals DGTL and Mysteryland in the Netherlands, Budapest’s Sziget, one of the continent’s largest festivals, and Brunch Electronik.