Boycott of Superstruct Entertainment festivals

In 2025, a boycott campaign started against music festivals promoted by Superstruct Entertainment, owned by KKR private equity conglomerate since 2024. The campaign is motivated by KKR economic interests in Israeli settlements and other stakes in Israel economy that campaigners characterize as complicity in the Gaza genocide. Several artists canceled their performances at festivals such as Field Day in the United Kingdom or Sónar in Spain.

The boycott in Spain has received support from the Ministry of Culture and the left political parties Sumar, United Left, Podemos and Republican Left of Catalonia.

Background

Since 2017, Superstruct Entertainment has built up a large portfolio of music festivals, with more than 80 events worldwide, and a particularly strong presence in Europe.[1] In June 2024, the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) private-equity conglomerate announced the acquisition of Superstruct.[2] KKR's investments in Israel-linked companies became central to the controversy: Axel Springer, a German publisher operating the Yad2 real estate platform that lists properties in occupied Palestinian territories; the cybersecurity firm Optiv, which has partnerships in Israel; or the Coastal GasLink pipeline.[2][3]

Timeline

Campaign emergence (August 2024-April 2025)

Soon after the acquisition was announced, in August 2024, a protest took place at the Flow Festival in Helsinki. The band Megabondmon used their performance to protest KKR's role in Gaza.[4] In early 2025, a campaign emerged to boycott all Superstruct festivals until they changed ownership.[2]

On 17 March 2025, Daytimers announced that they would not participate in any event promoted by Superstruct, withdrawing from Mighty Hoopla and Lost Village festivals. The South Asian collective called out KKR's involvement in "genocide" and encouraged other artists to follow their steps.[5]

Escalation (May 2025-present)

In May 2025, 70 artists who previously performed at Sónar festival, signed an open letter vowing to not perform at the festival, and calling to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.[6] The festival organization announced they would implement a procedure to get tickets refunded.[7]

On 13 May 2025, the newspaper El Salto published a piece on KKR's takeover of Spanish festivals. The publication of this article has been credited as a pivotal moment for awareness in Spain.[8][9][10][11][2]

On 17 May 2025, the Minister of Culture of Spain, Ernest Urtasun declared that KKR is "not welcome" in the country, and requested that KKR and other companies involved in the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements to be barred from participation in the European single market. Enrique Santiago, spokesperson of United Left demanded that the Government stops any authorizations of festivals owned by KKR in the country.[12]

On 20 May 2025, the Rivas-Vaciamadrid city hall, governed by United Left, announced they would rescind the agreement with ShareMusic!, a Superstruct subsidiary, by which it used a public venue in the municipality for their festivals. Festivals already scheduled for June 2025 would proceed, but no further usage would be allowed.[13][14]

On 21 May 2025, Olaya Suárez, spokesperson of Podemos in Gijón, demanded the end of any institutional funding of the Tsunami Xixón festival, owned by Superstruct.[15]

In June 2025, in response to the cascading cancellations, Superstruct published a statement claiming that proceeds from festivals and events would remain within the company and would not go to KKR.[16]

On 4 June 2025, the municipal groups of Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Barcelona called for an institutional boycott of Sónar 2025 over KKR ownership.[17]

On 7 June 2025, in Amsterdam, 14 artists pulled out from the Milkshake lineup citing KKR investment. The artists announced this under the Ravers For Palestine Instagram account. They included Angelboy, Slimfit and DJ Shahmaran.[18] In Valencia, a group of activists put up Palestine flags on a bridge over the Festival de les Arts venue, and artists like Zahara advocated for peace in Palestine during their performances.[19]

Cancelled performances

Approximately half of the Field Day festival lineup (19 out of 42 artists) cancelled their confirmed performances. The cancellations included Sisu Crew, Midland, Roza Terenzi, Spray, Regularfantasy and Mall Grab.[20][3] As of 4 June 2025, more than 30 artists cancelled their performances at Sónar, including Arca, Rone and Juliana Huxtable.[21][22] La Fúmiga canceled its performance at the Arenal Sound. La Élite pulled out from the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB).[23] Gigatron and Crossed pulled out of the Resurrection Fest lineup.[24] The drum and bass collective Fokin Massive cancelled their upcoming act at the Monegros Desert Festival.[11] Residente cancelled performences at FIB and Morriña Fest.[25]

The following artists have participated in the boycott:[26]

  1. ABADIR
  2. Aines
  3. AK97
  4. Alice Sparkly Kat
  5. Amantra
  6. Ancient Pleasure
  7. Andrea Belosi
  8. angelboy[18]
  9. Animistic Beliefs
  10. Arca[21]
  11. Axo Rock
  12. Baba cy
  13. Boikot
  14. Brodinski
  15. Cibelle
  16. Colectivo Rock contra el fascismo
  17. Colin Self
  18. Crossed[24]
  19. Dakidarría
  20. Dania
  21. Daytimers[5]
  22. Desklate
  23. Dis Fig
  24. DJ Haram
  25. DJ Paca
  26. DJ Shahmaran[18]
  27. DJ Sosa RD
  28. dublabBCN
  29. El Niño de la Hipoteca
  30. El Último Ke Zierre
  31. Emma DJ
  32. Ergo Pro
  33. Esmeralda
  34. Eyra
  35. Fermín Muguruza
  36. Flore
  37. Florentino
  38. Fokin Massive[11]
  39. Free City
  40. Gigatron[24]
  41. Gritando en Silencio
  42. Günseli Yalcinkaya
  43. Heith
  44. High Paw
  45. Ikonika
  46. Ill Pequeño
  47. Jehia
  48. Jeisson Drenth
  49. Jokk0 Collective
  50. Juliana Huxtable
  51. Julietta Ferrari
  52. Kaos Urbano
  53. Kaótiko
  54. Kalerizo
  55. Kamikazes
  56. Kebra
  57. Kode9
  58. La Élite
  59. La Fúmiga
  60. La Prados
  61. Lanav
  62. LaFrancesssa
  63. Las Ninyas del Corro
  64. Le Motel
  65. Lechuga Zafiro
  66. Loncha Velasco
  67. Lolo & Sosaku
  68. Los de Marras
  69. La Raíz
  70. Loraine James
  71. Maquette Dieng
  72. Magdalena Petrova
  73. Mago Hart
  74. Mall Grab[3]
  75. Manuka Honey
  76. Mans O
  77. Marikarmen Free
  78. Nahoomie
  79. nara is neus
  80. Natalia Gima
  81. Nicholas Evans (MTG-UPF)
  82. Midland[20]
  83. Nina Emocional
  84. No Konforme
  85. Noela Covelo Velasco
  86. Non Servium
  87. Nexus (B4mba & Mooki6)
  88. Nueen
  89. Objekt
  90. Oliver Torr
  91. Om Unit
  92. oma totem
  93. Opo
  94. Paquita Gordon[21]
  95. Peder Mannerfelt
  96. Peter Kirn
  97. Phran
  98. Pink Socks
  99. Porretas
  100. Pura Cadera
  101. Ratri Notosudirdjo
  102. Regularfantasy[20]
  103. Reincidentes
  104. Residente[25]
  105. R-010 & Venerandi
  106. Rompiendo Filas
  107. Rone[21]
  108. Roza Terenzi[20]
  109. Saint Abdullah
  110. Sangre Salvaje
  111. Sara Persico & Mika Oki[21]
  112. Sarna
  113. Santiago Latorre
  114. Selectya Glossy
  115. Sergi Botella Llongueras
  116. Shannen SP
  117. Shaun J. Wright[21]
  118. Shapednoise & Sevi Iko Domochevsky[21]
  119. Sínkope
  120. Sisu Crew[20]
  121. Ska-P
  122. Slimfit[18]
  123. Sofia
  124. Sons of Aguirre & Scila
  125. Spray[20]
  126. Sunny Graves
  127. Tiyumii
  128. Tom Heyes
  129. Vica Pacheco
  130. Yessi Perse

References

  1. ^ Cruz, Nando (19 January 2025). "Superstruct, el desconocido dueño de 30 festivales españoles que se ha colocado como segundo promotor más importante del mundo". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Elorduy, Pablo; Rodríguez, Javier H. (13 May 2025). "El fondo proisraelí KKR se hace con los grandes festivales españoles de música". El Salto (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Smith, Thomas (21 May 2025). "Field Day Distances From KKR Amid Lineup Boycott: 'We Cannot Control Who Owns Our Parent Company'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 June 2025.
  4. ^ Jalkanen, Pinja (9 August 2024). "Flow-festivaalin ympärillä kuohuu – esiintyjät kerääntyvät yhteen osoittamaan mieltään". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 10 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b Townsend, Megan (18 March 2025). "Daytimers withdraw from Lost Village and Mighty Hoopla slots over Superstruct acquisition". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025.
  6. ^ Burgen, Stephen; Denton, Neshy (23 May 2025). "Sónar festival hit with artist boycott over alleged links to Israel". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 June 2025.
  7. ^ Hidalgo, Luis (29 May 2025). "Medio centenar de artistas y colectivos cancelan su presencia en el Sónar por la relación con el fondo proisraelí KKR". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2025.
  8. ^ Margarit, Helena (31 May 2025). "Vídeo: Así es como los fondos proisraelíes están financiando el genocidio con tu dinero". Público (in Spanish).
  9. ^ "Superstruct asegura que no traslada los beneficios de los festivales al fondo proisraelí KKR del que forma parte". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 3 June 2025.
  10. ^ Serrano, Nacho (16 May 2025). "Docenas de bandas no actuarán en Viña Rock tras su compra por un fondo con intereses en la ocupación de Palestina". ABC (in Spanish).
  11. ^ a b c "Fokin Massive suspende su participación en Monegros Desert Festival evitando la colaboración con KKR y el genocidio en Palestina". AraInfo (in Spanish). 28 May 2025. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025.
  12. ^ Soto, Álvaro (17 May 2025). "Urtasun rechaza que un fondo vinculado a asentamientos en Palestina compre festivales españoles". El Correo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 June 2025.
  13. ^ Rodríguez, Javier H.; Elorduy, Pablo (21 May 2025). "La presión social obliga a ayuntamientos y festivales a tratar de desmarcarse del fondo proisraelí KKR". El Salto (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2025.
  14. ^ "El Ayuntamiento de Rivas Vaciamadrid cancela su colaboración con la promotora ShareMusic! por sus vínculos con el fondo proisraelí KKR". Público (in Spanish). 21 May 2025. Archived from the original on 29 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Podemos pide retirar la ayuda municipal al Tsunami Xixón mientras tenga financiación del fondo 'proisraelí' KKR". Europa Press (in Spanish). 21 May 2025. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025.
  16. ^ Casado, Roberto (3 June 2025). "KKR renuncia a cobrar dividendos de Sónar y Viña Rock para contener el boicot". Expansión (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 June 2025.
  17. ^ "ERC carga contra el Festival Sónar 2025 por sus vínculos con el fondo KKR y exige romper relaciones". El Llobregat (in Spanish). 4 June 2025. Archived from the original on 4 June 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d Roele, Jesper (7 June 2025). "14 artiesten zeggen Milkshake Festival af vanwege omstreden eigenaar: 'Je breekt hier het festival mee af, maar niet KKR'". Het Parool (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 June 2025.
  19. ^ "La Policía de València retira banderas de Palestina junto al Festival de Les Arts". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 7 June 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Ross, Gemma (14 May 2025). "Midland, Roza Terenzi, and more, join Sisu Crew in pulling out of Field Day in boycott of KKR ownership". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 7 June 2025.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Derbyshire Vieira, Yaiza (4 June 2025). "¿Quiénes han cancelado su participación en el Sónar 2025 por la polémica del fondo proisraelí KKR?". Los 40 (in Spanish).
  22. ^ Zambrano, Ximena (5 June 2025). "¿Por qué más de 30 artistas han cancelado sus presentaciones en el Sónar 2025?". Rolling Stone (in Spanish).
  23. ^ "Dos grupos de música se desmarcan del Arenal Sound y del FIB por su vinculación con un fondo proisraelí". La SER (in Spanish). 22 May 2025.
  24. ^ a b c Anido, Laura (2 June 2025). "La ola de renuncias de bandas en festivales de KKR abre la vía legal para pedir la devolución de entradas". Público (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2025.
  25. ^ a b Serrano, Nacho (9 July 2025). "Residente cancela sus conciertos en el FIB y Morriña Fest por su vinculación con KKR" [Residente cancels his FIB and Morriña Fest concerts due to his ties to KKR.]. Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  26. ^ "Estos son los festivales afectados y los artistas implicados en el boicot a KKR". RTVC (in Spanish). 22 May 2025.
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