Till Lindemann from Rammstein at Hellfest 2025, festival boss explains the singer's presence

MUSIC – Korn, Muse, Cypress Hill, but also Linkin Park and the Eagles Of Death Metal… This Monday, December 9, the boss of Hellfest revealed in an interview given to Parisian some of the headliners of the 2025 edition of the festival, an edition which will also feature Rammstein singer Till Lindemann.

« I am not a judge, but a festival director and programmer. The legal proceedings against him were dropped by the German prosecutor's office for lack of evidence. And I invite the artists that people want to see », Ben Barbaud justified himself to the daily newspaper.

In the summer of 2023, around ten women accused the German singer of sexual assault. In their testimonies, they claimed to have been spotted before or during a concert by the metal group, invited to the dressing room, drugged, then sexually assaulted by Till Lindemann. To commit these attacks, the latter would also have benefited from help from members of the staff and in particular from the tour manager.

While several members of the group, including drummer Christoph Schneider, distanced themselves from Till Lindemann, German justice ruled in favor of the accused. In August of the same year, the investigation opened against Till Lindemann was dismissed, the evaluation of the evidence having failed to establish that there had been non-consensual sex with the complainants.

What about Marilyn Manson?

Ben Barbaud justifies his choice. “ That said, I do it on a case by case basis and I am not here to provoke activists either, he continues, still in The Parisian. This year, I actually refused Marilyn Manson. From my point of view, his situation is much too murky to program him “. The latter recently dropped his defamation suit against Evan Rachel Wood, who publicly accused him of rape several years ago.

The founder of Hellfest also ensures that his festival is a place where women can feel safe. According to him, this “ neither a macho hangout, nor an unsafe place for women. They are also taking up more and more space. There are more spectators every year. » Today they represent 35% of festival-goers, where they were only 10% ten years ago.

In addition to the names mentioned above, the rest of the lineup for the 2025 edition of Hellfest must be revealed this same Monday. A day entirely dedicated to female groups or groups led by a singer must be organized on one of the big stages, assures its boss.

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