Artists Cancel Boiler Room Appearance In Protest Of Acquisition By Superstruct Entertainment

After Boiler Room was acquired by Superstruct Entertainment, a global festival operator owned by KKR, late last year, artists have begun boycotting the event. Most recently, several DJs including DJ Slugo and DJ Clent, pulled out of the brand’s event in Detroit scheduled for July 26.

KKR has made investments in weapons manufacturers, defense contractors and companies advertising settlements on Palestinian territory. Other artists to have pulled out of Boiler Room performances include Ikonika, Beatrice M., and Mia Koden, citing that the company’s investments don’t align with their values.

“As someone rooted in Chicago, a city built on resistence, creativity, and collective power, I refuse to let our culture spaces be used to sanitise the image of global capital and militarism,” DJ Slugo wrote in a statement on Instagram posted on July 4. “I stand with the people of Palestine, and with artists and communities worldwide demanding accountability from the platforms that profit from our labor and our voices.”

Detroit’s own Tylr and gulley pulled out of the event on similar grounds in June, setting up a GoFundMe to help cover the booking fees they’ll be losing out on. The GoFundMe has raised $2,095 of it’s $3.5K goal with 71 donations.

“Upon gaining further knowledge regarding ownership and funding of Boiler Room, particularly its acquisition by KKR, a firm with direct investments in weapons manufacturers and financial connections to the state of Israel, I’m compelled to disassociate myself from this event,” DJ Clent wrote in a statement posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Boiler Room’s event in San Francisco last month was cancelled due to pressure from local crews