Artists at Wireless told not to use profanities or wear offensive clothing

Following a complaint from The Friends of Finsbury Park, the London-based festival is being asked to clamp down on profanities.

As reported by BBC, instead of revoking the event’s license, Haringey Council has decided to make amendments to Wireless’ license, which remains held by Live Nation. The London event can be staged at Finsbury Park on the strict conditions of not swearing or using “vulgar” language. Volunteer-led charity The Friends of Finsbury Park has demanded that the festival are “to not sing or play any vulgar, obscene or banned songs or carry out indecent acts or make any vulgar gestures, actions or remarks during the performance”.  The regulations also extend to body censorship, requiring artists to refrain from wearing “attire which expose the groin, private parts, buttock or female breast(s).”

Furthermore, the festival will now also finish 30 minutes earlier, at 21.30pm (BST).

Though amendments have been made, The Friends of Finsbury Park wish to take further action. On a Crowd Justice page supporting their cause, the organisation state that they “want Haringey’s Licensing Committee to revoke the Premises Licence so that Wireless Festival can no longer take place in Finsbury Park.”

Earlier this month the barrister representing Live Nation, Philip Kolvin QC, defended the festival in a review hearing, stating Live Nation was committed to the “possibility of improving year-on-year.” He also praised the diversity levels of festival-goers and added, “Wireless is a celebration of grime music. It is a music genre that emerged from London, it is London music.”

This year, at Crack Magazine, we called Wireless the UK’s most essential rap festival.