LONDON — Field Day festival has issued a new statement in response to controversy around their parent company and a lineup boycott. The festival is due to take place in Brockwell Park, south London this coming Saturday (May 24).
Field Day festival is one of a number of music brands operated by Superstruct Entertainment, alongside Sónar Festival, Boiler Room and more. Superstruct Entertainment is owned by global investment firm KKR which, per Mixmag, holds stakes in weapons manufacturing companies, the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and multiple Israeli corporations that operate in occupied Palestinian territories.
In an open letter, a number of artists including Massive Attack and Brian Eno called on the festival to distance itself from KKR’s dealings, and 11 acts removed themselves from the lineup in protest. Last week (May 15), the festival issued a statement regarding the ownership situation which acknowledged the people “hurt and angry,” but explained that partnering with Superstruct Entertainment helped secure the future of the festival.
Field Day was first held in 2007 in Victoria Park, and in 2021 partnered with AEG’s Goldenvoice as part of All Points East Festival. In 2023, the festival was acquired by Superstruct Entertainment and moved to Brockwell Park in Brixton. This year’s event is headlined by Peggy Gou and also features James Blake and Jungle on the lineup.
Since the statement, however, fallout has continued with a number of acts continuing to withdraw from the bill, including Midland and Mall Grab. As of publication, over half of the artists booked have withdrawn from the lineup, with just 23 acts remaining of an original 42.
On Tuesday (May 20), the festival shared a new statement to their Instagram page, acknowledging that their initial message did not do enough to distance themselves from Superstruct’s parent company. “We are passionately opposed to KKR’s unethical investments in Israel,” it read, while calling for a “Free Palestine.”
The message continued: “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.”
The run-up to the events in Brockwell Park have been disrupted by a protest by a group of local residents and uncertainty if the festival slate would move forward. Wide Awake, Field Day, City Splash, Mighty Hoopla, Across The Tracks, all operated by Brockwell Live, are set to take place over a three-week period beginning on Friday (May 23).
Last week a High Court ruled that Brockwell Live did not have the correct planning permission from Lambeth Council to host the events, and that the promoters had exceeded the amount of usage days of the public park. On Monday, however, the festivals confirmed they would be going ahead after applying to Lambeth Council “for a new certificate of lawfulness” which enables the events to move forward.
Field Day statement in full:
The statement released on Thursday did not explain in full the position of the Field Day team or directly address legitimate concerns about investments in Israel by KKR, the owner of Field Day’s parent company, Superstruct. We apologise and wish to put that right here by making our position very clear.
Last year, the International Court of Justice, the world’s highest court, ruled that Israel illegally occupies Palestinian territory, is in violation of the international prohibition on apartheid, and is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza.
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.
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 military action and occupation and the provision of vital aid in Gaza without delay.
We said previously that partnering with Superstruct secured the future of the festival and our creative and operational independence; that the Field Day team had no knowledge or influence in KKR’s investment in Superstruct last year; and that we retain the same deeply held values Field Day was founded on. All of this is true.
However, we are sorry we did not say earlier what we unequivocally say now:
We are 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.
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 you using your platform to stand against all forms of oppression, discrimination and genocide.
We say with pride and determination that everyone is welcome at Field Day, regardless of nationality, race, religion, gender or sexuality.
We believe music is uniquely capable of bringing people together and providing a space to express ourselves freely without discrimination, and we hope you will join us in that spirit this weekend.
This is what we stand for, and we regret not making that clearer before. Free Palestine.