The Field Day music festival in London is facing growing backlash after 11 of its 23 confirmed acts have pulled out. The mass exit follows an open letter signed by over 200 artists urging for a boycott over the festival’s ties to Israel.
The controversy stems from Field Day’s partnership with Superstruct Entertainment, a company owned by global investment firm KKR. Critics cite KKR’s financial ties to Israeli corporations and arms manufacturers as a cause for concern.
Call for solidarity
In late April 2025, an open letter began circulating online. It urged Field Day to sever ties with KKR and called on fellow artists to cancel their performances in solidarity with Palestine. Mixmag pointed out that KKR’s involvement includes the Coastal GasLink pipeline and companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories.
“Israel’s brutal apartheid policies and ongoing assault of Palestinian civilians have been widely condemned by international human rights organisations and deemed as illegal by international law,” the letter also said.
Initial response underwhelms fans
Field Day first responded by crediting Superstruct for rescuing the festival after prior financial struggles.
“By partnering with Superstruct Entertainment in April 2023, the future of the festival and its creative and operational independence were secured — the ownership changed but not the ethos,” the statement read.
However, the announcement made no mention of the canceled acts, frustrating fans who flooded the festival’s social media with questions. Some asked directly where the festival stood on the Israel-Hamas war. Others demanded ticket refunds.
Second statement offers clarity
Field Day later issued a follow-up statement Tuesday, May 20. This time, organizers acknowledged the backlash and clarified their stance.
“We stand with the people in Gaza and support the peaceful aims of the Palestinian civil organisations and everyone working tirelessly to give them a voice,” they said.
The festival also acknowledged the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian territory and ended the statement with, “Free Palestine.”
Other artist cancellations mirror tensions
This controversy comes as similar tensions have emerged elsewhere.
Online music broadcaster Boiler Room was recently acquired by Superstruct Entertainment — the same company operating Field Day. After the acquisition, some artists pulled out of Boiler Room’s events in protest.
In March, Boiler Room issued a statement reaffirming its stance, saying it “will always remain unapologetically pro-Palestine.”
Stateside, Cornell University recently canceled Kehlani’s scheduled Slope Day performance, citing her “antisemitic, anti-Israel statements.” The singer has been a vocal supporter of Palestine, even releasing a 2024 music video that featured Palestinian imagery.
Students organized a petition which garnered more than 5,000 signatures, and raised nearly $30,000 to go toward another act.
Following that cancellation, Kehlani’s upcoming SummerStage concert in New York City was also scrapped. City officials cited “security concerns” tied to the Cornell fallout.
Unanswered questions remain
Field Day said it welcomes attendees of all backgrounds and thanked fans for holding them accountable. But despite the festival’s shift in tone, it has yet to publicly address the artists who dropped out.
