Anton Georgiou, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Brent Council, has called for Marilyn Manson to be dropped from Slipknot‘s Wembley Stadium show on 3 July 2027. The councillor said the venue “needs to explain what consideration was given” to the allegations against the singer before the booking was confirmed, while acknowledging that Manson denies any wrongdoing. “This is not about censorship. It is about accountability,” he said, in comments first reported by MyLondon.
Brent Council itself is not backing the call. A spokesperson said decisions about who performs at Wembley “are ultimately a matter for the venue and event organisers”, adding that this “does not diminish our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, which has no place in Brent”. Georgiou said it was “disappointing that the council has not spoken out publicly about this”, noting that “Wembley is a major institution in Brent”. The stadium said support acts are chosen by the promoter and headliner, and that it is in talks with promoter Live Nation about the performance.
Manson is booked to support Slipknot at Wembley alongside Lorna Shore and Hatebreed, at the only European date of the ‘(Sic)est Stadium Tour’ and the Iowa band’s first headline show at the stadium. He is also due to join Slipknot and Hatebreed in September 2027 in Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima and Bogotá. His inclusion had already drawn criticism from some fans since the tour was announced in late September. Asked about it online, guitarist Jim Root replied: “I concentrate on writing and being a guitarist, so forgive my ignorance about who we do shows with,” adding that “there are other people with much bigger brains than I that coordinate all that”. He also suggested that the band’s long-standing “family” of fans, built over more than 26 years, would stick with them.
In recent years, more than a dozen women have publicly accused Manson, real name Brian Warner, of abuse and sexual misconduct. He has denied all of the allegations and has settled several lawsuits. In January 2025, following a four-year investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced he would not bring charges, saying the domestic violence allegations fell outside the statute of limitations and the sexual assault allegations could not be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt”. The musician’s lawyer, Howard King, responded at the time that “Brian Warner is innocent”.
A civil claim from Ashley Walters, Manson‘s former personal assistant, is still going ahead. She alleges he sexually assaulted her in 2010 and abused her while she worked for him. The case was initially dismissed as time-barred but was revived under a California law that opened a temporary window for such claims, running until the end of 2027. A Los Angeles County court refused a bid to throw it out and set a jury trial for November 2027. King said he was “confident the case will never get to trial” after a forthcoming motion for summary judgment. Manson had previously sued Walters for defamation; he dropped that claim and agreed to pay $327,000 in legal fees.
Live Nation and Manson‘s representatives have not publicly responded to the councillor’s call.
Key facts
- Show: Slipknot, with Marilyn Manson, Lorna Shore and Hatebreed — 3 July 2027, Wembley Stadium, London
- January 2025: Los Angeles prosecutors decline to bring criminal charges
- November 2027: civil trial in Ashley Walters‘ claim
