A host of artists have pulled out of this year’s edition of the Latitude Festival over its sponsorship deal with Barclays and the bank’s ties to Israel.
Many have decided to boycott the Suffolk Music Festival for 2024 after the bank was accused of “continuing to profit from the genocide in Palestine”.
According to the Latitude Festival partnership website, Barclaycard’s description reads: “Official Headline Partner of Latitude Festival. Barclaycard is excited to return to this year’s festival season as the official naming partner for Latitude Festival 2024!
“Barclaycard is your pass to perks for music-loving Barclaycard and Barclays Premier cardholders with early access to tickets and discounts on food and drink at selected vendors.”
But the decision to have the bank as sponsors is now giving organisers a headache.
Mui Zyu and Georgia Ruth became the latest to pull out of the festival, joining two other acts who led the way last week.
Other sponsors include TK Maxx, Three, Co-Op, Bacardi, Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, Pepsi Max, Big Green Coach, Aperol Spritz, and Tia Maria.
And Latitude is not the first event to be hit with boycotts this year.
More than 100 acts dropped out of The Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May in solidarity with Palestine - around a quarter of the full programme.
Speaking to NME about their decision to pull out of The Great Escape, Big Scary Monsters founder Kevin Douch said: “Honestly, for us it was an easy decision. We spoke to our bands and explained our position, asked them what they wanted to do and it was unanimous that we’d all pull out. It’s been awesome seeing so many people getting behind this. There are enough voices now to make Live Nation listen and hopefully remove Barclays as a sponsor.”
A Barclays spokesperson shared a statement that read: “We provide vital financial services to US, UK and European public companies that supply defence products to NATO and its allies. Barclays does not directly invest in these companies. The defence sector is fundamental to our national security and the UK government has been clear that supporting defence companies is compatible with ESG considerations. Decisions on the implementation of arms embargos to other nations are the job of respective elected governments.”
But who are the artists who have pulled out so far?
Mui Zyu
The star has pulled out and used her social media page to make the announcement.
She wrote: “I am pulling out of Latitude Festival. The festival is sponsored by Barclays who are continuing to profit from the genocide in Palestine.“Barclays are on the BDS Movement’s boycott list. Throughout the last six months, they have continued to increase their financing to companies making weapons that are then used on Gaza where at this moment over 37,000 people have been killed and over 82,000 people injured (many of whom are children).“As a small artist this may not have much impact on the festival, but if others join it can. If you are planning to attend the festival please consider using your voice as a customer to speak out against your money going towards a genocide.”
Georgia Ruth
The Welsh singer-songwriter followed in the footsteps of Mui Zyu who pulled out.
She issued a statement, saying: “I was inspired by the effective boycott of Hay Festival this week by participating authors, which led directly to Baillie Gifford being dropped as main sponsor,” she wrote. “We can make a difference; festivals can make meaningful change. I urge Latitude to cut financial ties with Barclaycard.”
Georgia Ruth also used her social media platform to make her stand.
CMAT
CMAT said she would “not allow” her beloved work and voice to get into “bed with violence”.
She said she was utterly “devastated” to miss the event and hoped to be back in years to come under “different circumstances”.
Pillow Queens
The band was the first to boycott this year’s edition of Latitude festival over its sponsorship with the bank and its ties to Israel.
The Irish indie rock band – comprised of Pamela Connolly, Sarah Corcoran, Rachel Lyons and Cathy McGuinness – took to their social media to share a statement explaining why they have pulled out of the Suffolk music festival.
They wrote: “Last week it came to our attention that Latitude – a festival we were booked to play in the UK in July – lists its headline partner as Barclays. A May 2024 report by Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) details Barclays’ financial ties to companies producing weapons and military technology used in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians.
“It reveals that Barclays has increased its financial ties with companies arming Israel. PSC urges people to boycott all Barclays services until the bank ends its complicity in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians.”
