Boiler Room has issued a statement regarding concerns over its new owners.
- Read More: Bands on The Great Escape boycott: “Artists are realising they’re the ones with the power”
The global music platform was recently acquired by Superstruct Entertainment from ticket site DICE. Superstruct is the live entertainment company behind over 80 festivals across European and Australian electronic-focused festivals, including Mighty Hoopla, Lost Village, Field Day, Sónar, Cross The Tracks, Brunch Electronik.
It was acquired by KKR, a private equity company in 2024, which itself has faced backlash after being accused of having ties to weapons manufacturers and companies involved in the development of Israeli settlements on the West Bank, including Axel Springer, Guesty, Circor International and Advanced Navigation, according to Resident Advisor.
As a result, a number of artists – including Ikonika, Beatrice M., Mia Koden, BasicDisarm, jtamul, 8ULENTINA and Daytimers – cancelled their Boiler Room performances in the wake of the acquisition.
The latter act also dropped “all commitments related to Superstruct-owned events”, saying they refused to be “complicit in genocide” but expressed sympathies “with workers caught up in these acquisitions beyond their control”.
Now, Boiler Room has taken to social media to state that its new owners have made investments that “categorically don’t align with our values”. It also reiterated its allegiance to pro-Palestine organisations.
The platform wrote: “Boiler Room has been through various changes in control, investors, boards, and ownership, and through this our commitment to editorial independence and Palestine has never wavered. No investor, past or present, has ever influenced our output, this will never change.
“We will always remain unapologetically pro-Palestine. We continue to adhere to BDS and PACBI guidelines regarding artist programming and brand partnerships and engage with Palestinian artists and organisers in order to formalise our internal policies in line with this commitment. We uphold international law and human rights for all, regardless of identity.”
NME has contacted Superstruct Entertainment for comment.
Elsewhere, The Great Escape Festival had similar problems in 2024 after it partnered with Barclays, leading to over 125 artists boycotting the event.
Barclays were accused of investing in a number of companies that supply arms to Israel, following the October 7 attacks. In response, the bank claimed it is “trading in shares of listed companies in response to client instruction or demand”.
Following the boycott, it was announced that Barclays would no longer be a partner to the Brighton event.
