Field Day & Other Superstruct Festivals Take Stand Against Parent Company’s ‘Unethical Investments’

Amid pressure from artists and fans boycotting the London festival, Field Day organizers released a second statement on May 20 to elaborate on where they stand regarding their parent company’s investments in Israel.

Field Day, which is scheduled to take place May 24 at Brockford Park, apologized for not explaining its position earlier but made it clear that it stood with the people of Gaza despite private equity firm KKR — the owner of Field Day’s parent company, Superstruct Entertainment — having investments tied to Israel.

“We would like to say, clearly and directly, that we stand with the people of Gaza and support the peaceful aims of the Palestinian civil organisations and everyone working tirelessly to give them a voice,” the festival wrote. “This includes the artists and audience members who expect us to amplify their voices when it really matters, and who we failed by not addressing this earlier. We join them in calling for an immediate end to the military action and occupation and the provision of vital aid in Gaza without delay.”

Organizers went on to state that it is “passionately opposed to KKR’s unethical investments in Israel. We cannot control who owns our parent company but we promise to make our — and your — voices, and the ethical values we regard as non-negotiable, heard and understood at all levels.”

More than a dozen artists have pulled out of performing at the festival, including those who were going to perform on the Sisu Crew stage. Sisu Crew, a community that gives women and non-binary artists a platform to educate and showcase their talent, announced May 9 that its DJs would no longer be a part of the event because of a lack of engagement from organizers and called for other artists on the bill to “strike.”

Field Day also received pressure from hundreds of artists, including Brian Eno and Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, asking organizers to distance themselves 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.”

New York-based investment firm KKR acquired Superstruct, which owns and operates more than 80 music festivals in Europe and Australia, last June in a deal worth more than $1.3 billion.

Field Day released an official statement on May 15 assuring fans that organizers had full creative control over the event despite having partnered with Superstruct in 2023.

“Through many challenging times, various venues and several changes of ownership, Field Day has never compromised on those ambitions and values, putting on the best show we can in the way we always have,” the festival wrote.

The statement, however, didn’t address the open letter, nor did it mention anything about Gaza or their parent company’s ties to Israel, which led to backlash from artists and fans online.

Roza Terenzi, Spray and Regularfantasy released a joint statement that same day expressing their disappointment and announcing the cancellation of their performances “in solidarity with Palestine.”

“This decision also reflects the need for us as artists to be aware of where our labour, platform and support is going and hopefully punters to reconsider where their money is going,” the three acts wrote on social media. “The normalization of a scene where festivals have any link to facilitating sales of occupied land, ownership of weapons manufacturers and crowd control/surveillance technology is morally not something we stand behind.”

Such responses prompted Field Day to release another statement that elaborated on where it stood with its parent company and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

“Many of you rightly challenged our previous post. We’re grateful for your comments and we respect the artists who have taken a stance. To the other artists on our lineup, we welcome and support your using your platform to stand against all forms of oppression, discrimination and genocide,” the festival said before ending its statement with, “Free Palestine.”

Field Day isn’t the first Superstruct property to deal with backlash. Boiler Room, a London-based online platform promoting dance music that Superstruct acquired earlier this year, issued a statement affirming it is “pro-Palestine” after artists pulled out of events.

Mighty Hoopla, also owned by Superstruct, shared a similar statement to that of its sister festival Field Day, assuring the public it recognizes the International Court of Justice’s ruling “that Israel is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza” and “practicing apartheid and occupation against the Palestinian people.”

“As a festival, we will always use our platform to champion and fund other LGBTQ+ organisations, projects and charities as well as continuing to uplift brilliant queer artists across our shows,” Mighty Hoopla wrote. “No owner or investor will ever change what Mighty Hoopla stands for and the community it serves.”

Superstruct’s Sónar in Barcelona also took to Instagram to post a statement after dozens of artists signed an open letter from the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement requesting that the festival distance itself from KKR.

The Spanish festival stood in solidarity with the Palestinian population in Gaza and “to all those who suffer the consequences of violence and the violation of human rights anywhere in the world.”

“We want to make explicitly clear that Sónar distances itself from any action taken by KKR. We have no influence over  — nor, of course, any control whatsoever — over their investments or decisions,” festival organizers said.

According to online U.K. publication Access All Areas, Superstruct Entertainment issued a message to its partners, stating that it would not be able to deliver festival experiences of the highest standard without KKR’s investment.

“Our shareholders support this mission, are fully aligned with our values and want to help develop our industry. Without their support, we would not be able to provide such a diverse portfolio of festivals. Superstruct is independently run, making its own decisions based on what is in the best interests of our fans, artists and colleagues.

“We have always sought to provide artists with the ability to express themselves and share their creativity with millions of new and existing fans. We are concerned about the wellbeing of our staff and we cannot tolerate individuals or groups who pressurise, persecute or seek to unduly influence any fan, artist or colleague.”

The company also lamented that its ties to KKR has become a “story” and apologized to its employees.

“Everyone has a right to express their opinion but we are not a political platform, we are just fans of music and we love what we do. So do the thousands of people that come to our festivals and those who rely on us for their income – riggers, stage builders, dancers, vendors, security guards and all the people who work with us everyday. To all of you, we are sorry that it feels like we are becoming the story.”