Latest news with #Superstruct
Al Jazeera
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
Can Europe's music festivals break from pro-Israel funders?
Barcelona's Sónar Festival, a major music and technology event, is seeing artist withdrawals after revelations about its parent company, Superstruct. The live events giant is backed by the hedge fund KKR, which is linked to Israeli weapons makers and illegal West Bank settlements, prompting a growing boycott.
Al Jazeera
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
The Take: Can Europe's music festivals break from pro-Israel funders?
Barcelona's Sónar Festival, a major music and technology event, is seeing artist withdrawals after revelations about its parent company, Superstruct. The live events giant is backed by the hedge fund KKR, which is linked to Israeli weapons makers and illegal West Bank settlements, prompting a growing boycott. In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Tamara Khandaker, with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Kisaa Zehra, Mariana Navarrete and our host, Natasha del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. Special thanks to Noelia Ramírez. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
CairoScene
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Why Are Artists Boycotting Sónar Festival 2025?
Why Are Artists Boycotting Sónar Festival 2025? Over 70 artists have dropped out of Sónar 2025 over ties to KKR, an investment giant linked to arms and Israeli military tech. More than 70 artists have pulled out of Sónar Festival 2025 in protest of its ownership ties to KKR, a global investment firm linked to weapons manufacturing, surveillance technology, and Israeli military contracts. What began as a quiet call to accountability has grown into a full-blown boycott campaign, raising urgent questions about the politics behind music festival funding. KKR—short for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts—acquired Superstruct Entertainment in 2020. Superstruct owns or controls more than 80 festivals worldwide, including Sónar, Outlook, DGTL, and Parookaville. With the ongoing genocide in Gaza and heightened scrutiny over financial complicity, artists and activists are demanding transparency about who funds the events they participate in, and what those companies profit from. The boycott was spearheaded by the Palestinian-led BDS movement, which called Sónar's relationship with KKR 'involuntary complicity in genocide.' That statement struck a chord. In a matter of days, artists like Ikonika, Florentino, Manuka Honey, and ABADIR publicly canceled their scheduled appearances. Egyptian artist ABADIR wrote: 'I can't participate in good conscience… This is about anti-racism and solidarity.' Sónar initially responded by stating that it 'promotes respect for human rights.' But as pressure mounted, the festival issued a second statement on May 19th, saying: 'We have no control over KKR's investments, and we express solidarity with Gaza's civilians.' It added, 'No ownership structure will define who we are.' But many aren't buying it. Amsterdam's DGTL Festival, also owned by Superstruct, released a much firmer statement acknowledging that 'KKR's investments are unethical' and promising to reassess its affiliations. Even Boiler Room came under fire after launching a pro-Palestine fundraising campaign while remaining silent about its own past ties to KKR, a contradiction that artists and audiences were quick to point out. For many, the issue is not just about Gaza. It's about the role of music in systems of oppression. As stages grow larger and more corporate, the decisions about who profits from culture, and who is erased by it, are no longer invisible.
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Field Day festival issues statement amid as top acts drop out boycott shows
The London music festival Field Day has issued an updated statement clarifying its stance on an Israeli investment firm in the aftermath of multiple acts drop out of the line-up Field Day festival has shared an updated statement about its ties to an investment firm KKR after multiple artists pulled out of this year's festival, citing its holdings in Israel. To date, fifteen artists have withdrawn from this year's line-up, including multiple members of the femme music collective Sisu Crew, Midland, Spray, Roza Terenzi and Regularfantasy. The boycott comes just two weeks after over 200 artists signed an open letter calling on the festival to publicly distance itself from KKR. KKR is a global investment firm with holdings in Israel and is the parent company of Superstruct Entertainment, the promoter of Field Day. In an updated statement shared on May 20 - just five days before the event - Field Day made a hardened stance against KKR, saying its initial statement a few days prior didn't sufficiently explain its position. In its lengthy new statement, Field Day writes: '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.' Field Day emphasised that it 'failed' artists and audience members by not addressing the open letter earlier. It restates that partnering with Superstruct secured the festival's future and that it had 'no knowledge or influence' in KKR's investment in Superstruct but added a condemnation of the investment firm. 'We are passionately opposed to KKR's unethical investments in Israel,' says Field Day, adding that it respects the artists that have 'taken a stance' and welcomes the other artists still on the line-up to do the same. The open letter from artists that Field Day is responding to claimed that KKR's investments make it complicit in genocide and 'apartheid regime' and that Field Day is now 'implicated' and has 'an urgent and profound legal and moral obligation to take a clear stand against KKR's complicity'. The letter called on the festival to 'publicly distance itself from KKR' and make its own position clear. The letter was penned by a coalition of DJs, led by femme collective Sisu Crew, and received over 230 signatures from artists including Brian Eno, Jyoty, Ben UFO, Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja. The letter was published on April 29 but artists began to pull out after there was no public response from the festival. More than a week after the letter was published, members of the music collective Sisu Crew announced it would no longer be playing the festival. The collective shared on its Instagram page that it would be withdrawing 'our stage, our line-up, and our labour' from Field Day. The Sisu Crew members who pulled out of this year's line-up include: Malissa, Ariana V, inda flo, Calaida, GUYZ, Jezebelle, ŌKAMI, Chickie, izzy. and Moontalk. Only a few days later, Midland, Roza Terenzi, Spray, Regularfantasy, Voices Radio and Corsica Studios also pulled out of the event. In its initial statement shared on May 15, Field Day opened with an apology for 'taking this long' to respond to the artists' open letter. The festival shared that it had 'no say' when the company was bought by KKR in 2024, but was challenged by many artists and planned attendees. Some ticketholders for the upcoming event are calling on the festival to issue refunds given the reduced line-up. In one comment on the festival's Instagram page, one user wrote: '43 artists to 24 now. This is ridiculous. Ticket holders should be offered refunds, this isn't the festival we originally paid for'. Another wrote: 'Why are we not able to refund our tickets if you're claiming to be close to sell out??? The artists I wanted to see aren't performing anymore - the event is not what it was advertised as.' The festival is set to take place as scheduled in Brockwell Park on May 24, despite a recent High Court ruling put the festival at risk of being shut down. Peggy Gou will headline the festival with more acts 'TBA' according to the official website.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Love Home Swap founder Wosskow screened for Channel 4 chair job
A start-up founder who leads a government-backed female entrepreneurship initiative is among the contenders to become the next chair of Channel 4. Sky News understands that Debbie Wosskow is among the names featuring on a list of candidates to replace Sir Ian Cheshire, who stepped down earlier this year. The race to lead the state-owned broadcaster's board has acquired additional importance in recent weeks after the resignation of Alex Mahon, its long-serving chief executive. Ms Mahon, who was a vocal opponent of the last government's proposed privatisation of Channel 4, is leaving to join Superstruct, a private equity-owned live entertainment company. The appointment of a new chair is expected to take place by the autumn, with the chosen candidate expected to lead the recruitment of Ms Mahon's successor. Dawn Airey, the veteran television executive, is serving as Channel 4's interim chair but has reportedly ruled herself out of the running for the role on a longer-term basis. Ms Wosskow is already on the board of Channel 4, having joined as a non-executive director in January last year. It was unclear on Tuesday whether any of the broadcaster's other non-executives have thrown their hat into the ring to succeed Sir Ian. Ms Wosskow, who now jointly chairs the Invest In Women taskforce, founded the home exchange start-up Love Home Swap before selling it to Wyndham in 2017. The appointment of directors of Channel 4 is technically led by Ofcom, the media regulator, in agreement with the culture secretary. Channel 4 has been contacted for comment, while Ms Wosskow declined to comment when approached by Sky News.
