Brian Eno and Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja are among a collective of musicians who have signed an open letter to Field Day calling on the London festival to “publicly distance itself” from its parent company KKR.
KKR is an investment firm which has faced criticism for its financial ties to Israeli companies operating illegally on Palestinian territory, as well as its connections to weapons manufacturers. Field Day’s parent company, Superstruct Entertainment, was acquired by KKR in June 2024.
The open letter was organised by members of Sisu, a collective created to platform women and non-binary DJs, and is attributed to “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”.
In addition to Eno and Del Naja, the letter has been signed by DJs such as Ben UFO, Midland, I. JORDAN, DEBONAIR, Rrose, Pangaea and TSVI.
The letter reads: “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. Given recent rulings by the International Court of Justice — that Israel is plausibly committing genocide, is guilty of apartheid and that its occupation is illegal — Field Day has an urgent and profound legal and moral obligation to take a clear stand against KKR’s complicity.
“Festivals are vital spaces for music lovers to commune and celebrate humanity. They should not be fundraising opportunities for genocide, however indirectly. It is deeply regrettable that Field Day is now under the shadow of this concerning corporate connection.”
Presenting means that Field Day can oppose its parent company, the letter says the festival should “publicly distance itself from KKR to the fullest extent it possibly can”, “adopt an ethical programming and partnerships policy”, “respect and uphold Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) guidelines” and “engage with its artists and workers regarding all of the above”.
Read the full letter here.
The call on Field Day to address its ownership comes a month after Boiler Room, which was also acquired by Superstruct in January of this year, shared a statement addressing its parent company and opposing its ties to Israeli investments.
