Wireless Festival has hardly any women on the line-up... again

Wireless Festival once again has hardly any women featuring on its line-up – with just three of 39 acts announced so far being female or having a female member.

The music festival, in Finsbury Park on 6-8 July, made its first line-up announcement on Monday (22 January), with Friday headlined by J. Cole, Stormzy on Saturday and DJ Khaled on the Sunday night.

But Twitter user Luke Bailey was quick to point out that the line-up with all the men taken off was "not great," to put it lightly. Just Mabel, Cardi B and Lisa Mercedez remain if you strip the line-up of men, as demonstrated in a poster mocked up by Bailey and checked by IBTimes UK. This means that just 7.69% of the line-up features female artists.

"Yikes," and "not a single woman on the Saturday, jeez" were two of the reactions to his tweet – although some were less sympathetic, with one user challenging: "Name me someone that should be there who does a lot of festivals."

One person did make some suggestions: "The lack of female artists at Wireless Festival is shocking. Just Mabel and Cardi B? Where's Stefflondon, IAMDDB, Raye etc... hopefully they announce more female artists in the next batch."

Singer Lily Allen was among those highlighting the issue, tweeting: "The struggle is real" alongside the picture showing the line-up without men. DJs Naughty Boy and Annie Mac were among those showing their support, with Mac saying: "This is appalling. So so so embarrassing." Allen suggested Katy B, Ray BLK, Stefflon Don and Raye as potential artists who could perform.

However, Ray BLK revealed on Wednesday morning (24 January) that she had been offered a place on the line-up this year but turned it down. She tweeted: "For all of you saying I should be there, I was asked to do wireless festival and chose not to this year x"

It was a similar story last year when, in the equivalent initial announcement of 41 artists, the festival was slammed for having just five acts that included women. They were Zara Larsson, Noname, Stefflon Don and Yuna, with The Age of L.U.N.A. featuring just one female member, Daniella Thomas.

Wireless declined to comment.