Smukfest drops Benny Jamz from lineup after conviction

Smukfest has removed rapper Benny Jamz from this summer’s program following his three-month unconditional prison sentence for threats and knife possession, the festival announced Tuesday, though it stopped short of setting a permanent policy for excluding artists with criminal convictions.

The decision comes after multiple Danish festivals—including Grøn Koncert, Kløften Festival, Bork Festival, and Bakkefesten—also cut the artist from their lineups. Trine Bang, Smukfest’s content director and a board member of the organizing Skanderborg Festivalklub, called the case a potential “benchmark” for future bookings, distinguishing it from past controversies over artistic expression.

“This case isn’t about statements or opinions but about threats and weapon possession—factors we’ve chosen to assess differently,” Bang told P1 Orientering. She acknowledged the complexity of such decisions, noting that the festival has previously hosted artists with criminal records, including Topgunn, who was convicted of assault in 2016.

Benny Jamz, who was Denmark’s fifth-most-streamed artist on Spotify last year, is appealing his conviction stemming from a March 2024 altercation with an ex-partner, during which he allegedly slashed her car tire with a knife. Though an appeal could overturn the ruling, Bang said the festival must act on the current verdict.

“We evaluate the situation as it stands now,” she said. “He has an unserved prison sentence, and while it’s under appeal, we must take responsibility for this year’s event.”

The rapper, who served a prior three-month sentence in 2022 for assaulting a nightclub bouncer with a liquor bottle, performed at Smukfest last year. Bang emphasized that the festival has no fixed rules for excluding artists with convictions but may reconsider bookings after sentences are served.

“Our strong principle is that artistic bookings are never automatically canceled due to legal cases,” she said, adding that future appearances by Benny Jamz remain possible. “This doesn’t mean someone can’t return after serving a sentence—just that we manage our brand in the festival’s best interest.”

Attempts by P1 Orientering to reach Benny Jamz for comment were unsuccessful.