Arcade Fire Lands Big ‘SNL’ and Bonnaroo Performances Despite Sexual Misconduct Scandal

Arcade Fire’s comeback is slowly building, despite the sexual assault allegations against frontman Win Butler. The band was quietly announced as a late addition to this year’s Bonnaroo lineup last week, and they played a tribute to David Bowie on stage with St. Vincent and David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) at SNL50: The Homecoming Concert.

In 2022, a Pitchfork article reported four people had accused Butler of serious sexual misconduct, and listed the allegations in graphic detail. The women listed in the story range from 18 to 23, when Butler was older than 35. Each story details Butler going too far in a wide variety of instances, with one woman alleging his “very aggressive” non-consensual sexual behavior, and another alleging he showed up at their apartment despite multiple text messages telling them not to come.

After the Pitchfork report released, the band’s opening acts Feist and Beck dropped out of their current tour. Butler acknowledged the allegations by saying he was aware of his misconduct but that “these relationships were all consensual.”

“As I look to the future, I am continuing to learn from my mistakes and working hard to become a better person, someone my son can be proud of,” Butler wrote. “I f—ed up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences.” His wife, fellow bandmember Régine Chassagne, wrote in a statement, “He has lost his way, and he has found his way back.”

Arcade Fire is well-known for their indie rock sound that incorporates elements of dance and baroque music. Most members, including Butler, Chassagne, Richard Perry, and former member Will Butler, all play more than five instruments and bring all of the instruments on tour for their lengthy live shows. Each of the group’s six albums have been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards—winning Album of the Year for The Suburbs—and critics often name their first album Funeral as one of the greatest albums of the decade.