Blogger’s Note: There are a number of reactionary groups throughout the UK that are linked to the political right-wing, that exist to campaign against any event, movement or reform that is perceived as “progressive” or “disruptive” of the conservative status quo. There are numerous such local campaigning groups linked to cancelling the Nottinghill Carnival – which is presented as “un-British”, “expensive”, and attracting of “crime”, etc. In this regard, such calls are even supported by the Met Police. It was revealed recently that Camden Council spends thousands each year arranging for elderly local residents to be temporarily moved out into the countryside for the duration of the Carnival – usually staying in hotels – as the noise and influx of hundreds of thousands has been proven detrimental to their psychological and physical health. As the boycott of the pro-Palestinian Field Day event held in Lambeth (by artists protesting the involvement of the Israeli-linked KKR investment group) was building a head of steam, a High Court Judge contradicted the plans of Lambeth Council by making a ruling that states the Council had not acquired the relevant planning permission for its Brockwell Park event (of which Field Day is a part). This ruling effectively “cancelled” the 2025 event – just as a mass pull-out by pro-Palestinian artists was generating publicity on the internet. This matters as the artists themselves refer to the ongoing “Palestinian Genocide” in Gaza perpetuated by the Zionist Israeli regime. This is an ongoing massacre of the innocent permitted by all Western governments. From a legal point of view, it is astonishing that a Judge would contradict a Council – and thereby permit a group of civilians prevails in an act of will-power over local policy. The British system just does not function in this manner. Normally, only the rich and the well-connected who work with the system – can get anywhere with regards to influencing local Council policy. What we are seeing here is the system working against itself – but for whom? Of course, to suggest that this is a damage limitation exercise designed to assist Israel continue its Genocide in Gaza unopposed – will be presented as a “conspiracy theory”. It’s funny just how intricate and well-timed these “conspiracy theories” are becoming! ACW (17.5.2025)

Multiple DJs withdraw from Field Day line-up in light of KKR boycott

Sisu Crew, Midland, Spray, Roza Terenzi and Regularfantasy have pulled out of the festival following the BDS Movement’s call for a boycott

April Clare Welsh – 15 May 2025

Update 15/05/2025: Field Day has issued an official statement that can be read in full below. 

Multiple DJs have withdrawn from the line-up of Field Day London over its ties to the global investment firm KKR, the parent company of its owner, Superstruct Entertainment. 

Among those to pull out of the festival, which takes place in Brockwell Park on 24th May, are the Sisu Crew, Midland, Spray, Roza Terenzi and Regularfantasy. Voices Radio and Corsica Studios have also cancelled their involvement. The move comes in the wake of the BDS Movement’s call for a boycott of the festival last week after organisers made no public response to an open letter urging Field Day to distance itself from KKR.

Last month, numerous figures from the UK electronic music industry — including Brian Eno, Sisu Crew, Midland, Ben UFO and I.JORDAN — signed an open letter asking Field Day to “publicly distance itself from KKR to the fullest extent it possibly can, by taking a clear stance against KKR’s complicit investments as well as outlining its position on the genocide of Palestinians, in an official statement,” and to “adopt an ethical programming and partnerships policy”. As the letter pointed out, KKR invests “billions of pounds in companies which, for example, develop Israeli underground data centres, and advertise real estate on illegally occupied land in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”

The letter continued: “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”. 

In a statement posted by Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) on Saturday (10th May), the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) revealed it has been “consulting” and “strategising” with “a number of Field Day participants” for the past two months. However, as the Sisu Collective — which includes Ariane V, Moontalk, Jezebelle and others — pointed out in a statement cancelling their appearance at the festival, “the festival has made clear that it is not going to take action against its complicity and the SISU DJs booked to play on SISU’s stage, are withdrawing their energy and putting it elsewhere.

“We ask artists across the Field Day line-up to join us in striking against corporate complicity and co-option. We have given Field Day several chances to work with us and they have turned us down repeatedly. In doing so, they have shown us where their priorities lie which, sadly, is not with ending the genocide of the Palestinian people.” 

In its statement, PACBI calls for “boycotting Field Day and boycotting and/or pressuring all Superstruct-owned events until they meet the demands, at a minimum: publicly stating their clear opposition to the complicit investments of KKR; adopting ethical programming and partnership policies; respecting BDS guidelines and positions (including on priority targets); and engaging with artists and organisers on all the above.”

In a post shared yesterday (14th May), Midland confirmed that he would no longer be playing at the festival. “After a lot of thought I have decided to cancel my performance at Field Day,” he wrote. “I recently signed an open letter to the festival asking them for clarity on their stance on a number of points regarding their link to KKR and addressed the concerns many of us have about their investment portfolio. Unfortunately they have remained silent.”

He continued: “Beyond the letter and more importantly, I don’t want to help normalise and contribute to an entity whose investments are being used to fund so many things I feel morally opposed to, amongst them, facilitating the sale of occupied land in Palestine and ownership of weapons manufacturers (currently being sold to Israel), investments in surveillance and crowd control technology (being used to suppress protest worldwide) as well as the Coastal Gas link Pipeline.”

In a joint statement confirming their withdrawal from the festival, Spray, Roza Terenzi and Regularfantasy wrote: “After much internal discussion in combination with the BDS Movement call for boycott, the three of us will be cancelling our performances on the same stage at Field Day Festival and the Afterparty in solidarity with Palestine.

“After being given the time and opportunity to engage with the requests outlined in an open letter from Sisu collective; asking the festival to clarify their stance on their links to KKR and its investments tied to ongoing genocide of Palestinian people, they have remained silent, complicit and chosen to ignore the number of concerned artists.”

Field Day is the latest music event brand to receive criticism for its links to Superstruct. Multiple artists, including Animistic Beliefs and Abadir, have also withdrawn from Superstruct-owned Sónar festival in Barcelona. In a seemingly related statement shared today (15th May), Sónar wrote: “Sónar is a platform that promotes diversity, inclusion and respects the freedom of expression of its artists, participants and collaborators. The Sónar team has always worked and will always work with the premise of promoting respect for universal human rights. The festival strongly condemns all forms of violence.” 

In March, a statement came from Boiler Room surrounding its ties to Superstruct, which acquired the music and events platform in January, four years after it was acquired by DICE. In its statement, Boiler Room underlined its “unapologetically pro-Palestine” stance after a number of artists, including Ikonika and 8ULENTINA, cancelled or turned down their appearances at its events due to its connections to KKR. PACBI endorsed Boiler Room’s publicised distancing from KKR, and said it “calls on all other Superstruct-owned live music events to distance themselves from KKR’s investments in Israel’s complicit tech sector”.

Following the Boiler Room backlash, London’s DAYTIMERS crew announced their decision to withdraw from the Mighty Hoopla and Lost Village events, due to take place in May and August, respectively.

Meanwhile, both Field Day and Mighty Hoopla are facing potential issues with their Brockwell Park location. Last month, campaign group Protect Brockwell Park launched a legal challenge against Lambeth Council seeking to prevent the “interruption” of “protracted large-scale unsustainable events”, particularly during late spring and early summer.

Field Day relocated to Brockwell Park from Victoria Park in 2024, having been hosted there once in 2018.

Field Day has now issued a public statement responding to the open letter shared last week. It reads: “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. Since then, as has been reported, they have been bought by KKR, of which we had no say in, which has prompted a passionate discussion.” Read the full statement below. 

Music festivals in park ‘have to be cancelled’ after court decision, lawyers say

Solicitors for campaigners have written a letter addressed to Lambeth Council, asking to confirm Brockwell Park will now be opened to the public

Jess Glass

Upcoming music festivals have to be cancelled after a High Court ruling over the use of a south London park to host the events, lawyers for the campaigner who brought the challenge have said.

Brockwell Park in Lambeth hosts a series of events called Brockwell Live, attracting hundreds of thousands of people to six festivals including Mighty Hoopla with artists including Kesha and former Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall due to perform this year.

Rebekah Shaman, who lives in the area and is a member of the Protect Brockwell Park group, successfully brought legal action against Lambeth Council over the use of parts of the park for the festivals – due to begin this year on May 23.

The High Court in London previously heard the challenge was over the council’s decision to certify the planned use of the land as lawful – as under permitted development rules, a temporary change of use is allowed for a total of 28 days each calendar year.

In a decision on Friday afternoon, Mr Justice Mould ruled in Ms Shaman’s favour, finding parts of the park would be used as event space for more than 28 days and that the decision to grant the certificate was “irrational”.

After the ruling, lawyers representing her and the Protect Brockwell Park group wrote a letter addressed to the council, asking it to “confirm that the event has been cancelled” and to clear any fencing or infrastructure.

The draft letter from Goodenough Ring solicitors said that Brockwell Live does not have planning permission and cannot benefit from permitted development rights, and that a planning application could not be decided for at least three weeks.

“It follows that not only do the Brockwell Live events not have planning permission, but permission cannot be obtained until after they are concluded,” the letter said.

It continued: “As there is no planning permission for the Brockwell Live event, the event has to be cancelled.”

Goodenough Ring have asked for a response by 10am on May 19.

A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “We are currently assessing the impact of this judgement and determining next steps.”

The High Court’s decision was welcomed by Protect Brockwell Park campaigners, as well as Dunkirk actor Sir Mark Rylance.

He said in a statement issued by the campaign group: “Wonderful news. Brockwell park will be open to all for free again this summer. No walls. No trucks.

“The grass, and trees, and plants will have a chance to recover from the years of abuse.

“Now let’s help revive the beloved Lambeth country fair as it used to be, open to all. Congratulations to all who worked so devotedly to achieve this decision.

“Every small victory for nature makes a difference.”

Ms Shaman said after the decision: “We are not opposed to well-managed, appropriately scaled community events.

“But what’s happening in Brockwell Park is neither appropriate nor sustainable. We reject the assumption that this beloved public green space is a suitable venue for massive and damaging festivals.”

Residents near the park said that during summer a metres-high green fence stays up in a large portion of the park.

Children handed out flyers to support the campaign and Herne Hill resident Ammar Tabbakha-Fearon, eight, told the PA news agency “we can’t sleep in the bedroom because it’s too loud” and “it’s very extraordinarily loud”.

Speaking in the park after the result, his mother, graphic designer Summer Tabbakha, told PA: “This is our green space, as you can see it’s fenced-up, we don’t get access to it and it’s just destroyed for the rest of the year, and that’s aside of noise.

“I’ve been to festivals, I like festivals, just not here, just not in a park, not in a residential space as well. The floodlights come through despite the curtains, despite black curtains.”

One of her sons struggles to sleep generally but there is “noise pumping through, that’s with the windows closed in the middle of summer”, she said.

Mr Justice Mould said his decision was only about “the lawfulness of the decision to grant the certificate”, after previously telling lawyers that “what is happening on the ground” would be a question for Lambeth Council as the planning authority to decide.

Lawyers for Lambeth Council and festival organisers Summer Events Limited both asked Mr Justice Mould for the go-ahead to challenge his decision, but the judge refused.

The council and organisers are still able to ask the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the decision directly.

Richard Harwood KC, for Ms Shaman, previously said in written submissions that Brockwell Park has “increasingly” been used for large commercial events, with “substantial” parts of the park being fenced off from the public during the events and damage caused to the ground.

“Due to inclement weather over the weekend of one of the commercial events, the park effectively became a mud bath,” Mr Harwood added, referencing one of the 2024 events.

Matthew Reed KC, for Lambeth Council, said in written submissions that the “majority” of the park remains unfenced and available for the public to use during the events.

He also said that the council was able to lawfully decide “proposed use within the period identified by it was lawful because either it would be required to cease within 28 days or it would be permitted by a planning permission”.

However, Mr Justice Mould found in his ruling: “The planning officer erred in taking into account the mere prospect of planning permission being granted.”

As well as Mighty Hoopla, Brockwell Live features events including family orientated Brockwell Bounce and alternative music festival Wide Awake.