Dubstep musician Benga, who was scheduled to appear with Skream at the upcoming Coachella music festival in the U.S., has announced he will no longer perform due to visa issues. Although Benga’s team worked tirelessly to ensure his U.S. tour would take place, including dates at the opening and closing weekends of Coachella, he was ultimately denied entry. Benga expressed his disappointment via Instagram, saying, “I am absolutely gutted,” but added that he was “respecting the process and staying positive.”
Benga was set to perform at the Heineken House stage on April 13th and again on April 20th, back-to-back with Skream. The duo had been highly anticipated by fans of their Lost & Found tour throughout Europe, and were expected to bring their energetic sound to Coachella. Benga has not yet commented on whether or not he will continue to pursue an American tour, however, he has previously noted the difficulty of obtaining visas as a British musician.
Benga and Skream are known for helping to popularize dubstep, a subgenre of electronic dance music that originated in the UK. Despite its roots in British club culture, dubstep has gained an international following and has been incorporated into a variety of music genres, from hip hop to pop.
Visa issues for musicians and performers have become an increasingly common problem, with many artists expressing frustration over the lengthy and bureaucratic process. In Benga’s case, it is unclear what additional information his U.S. visa application was requesting. Without him, Skream will still perform solo at Coachella
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