Slowthai removed from Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds line-up following rape charge

Slowthai has been quietly removed from the line-ups of Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds festivals, after he was charged with two counts of rape.

The Mercury Prize nominated rapper, real name Tyron Frampton, appeared before Oxfordshire magistrates court via video link yesterday (May 16). He has been charged with the oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent in Oxford, with the alleged incident occurring in September 2021.

Frampton spoke only to confirm his name, address in Northampton, and his date of birth. He has not entered a plea for the offences, but denied any wrongdoing in a statement later shared to social media.

Now, Frampton appears to have been removed from two of his most prominent festival appearances this summer. He no longer appears on the poster for Reading & Leeds – where he was set to perform before Lewis Capaldi – and has also been taken off the poster for Glastonbury’s initial line-up.

He is still currently set to support Blur at one of two Wembley Stadium shows, but it remains unclear if this will be cancelled too.

Denying the charges, Frampton wrote on social media yesterday: “Regarding the allegations being reported about me. I categorically deny the charges. I am innocent and confident my name will be cleared. Until then I will apply my energy to ensure this is concluded swiftly and justly.”

He added: “I ask that my supporters don’t comment about this situation and respect the process and privacy of my family during this time.”

The rapper, who is originally from Northampton, came to fame in 2019 with his debut album Nothing Great About Britain, a critically acclaimed state-of-the-nation rap record.

The album was followed by 2021’s Tyron and his third album UGLY, which arrived in March of this year.