Copenhagen politicians demand apology from Distortion festival after convicted rapper performs

Copenhagen’s Distortion festival is facing calls for a public apology after a rapper convicted of threats and weapons possession performed at the event last week, DR reports.

Benny Jamz, sentenced last month to three months in prison for threats and illegal firearm possession—a ruling he has appealed—appeared as an unannounced guest during artist Kesi’s set. The performance has drawn sharp criticism from city politicians, including Lars Aslan Rasmussen of the Social Democrats, a member of Copenhagen’s municipal council.

“First, they need to apologize, and second, they need to explain their guidelines for booking artists convicted of serious crimes,” Rasmussen told DR. He warned that the festival’s response—or lack of one—could factor into future discussions about municipal funding. “If they receive public support but refuse accountability or dialogue with politicians, that will have consequences,” he said, though he added he would consult colleagues before taking further steps.

Niels Peder Ravn of the Conservative Party, also on the municipal council, echoed the criticism in an interview with DR’s Radio lll.

Distortion, which attracts nearly 150,000 attendees annually, making it Denmark’s third-largest festival, stated it was unaware of Benny Jamz’s planned appearance. In a statement to DR, festival director Daniel Toghill called the performance “unacceptable” and stressed that Jamz was not officially booked.

“All forms of violence are incompatible with the festival’s ethos of community and peaceful celebration,” Toghill said. The festival had previously rejected Jamz for this year’s lineup following his conviction.

The controversy follows a separate decision last month by organizers of the Grøn festival—backed by Tuborg and the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation—to drop Benny Jamz from its program after his sentencing.