By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
The Latitude Festival, set to feature headline performances by Keane, Kasabian, Duran Duran, and London Grammar, has experienced a wave of withdrawals by musicians and comedians in response to its sponsorship by Barclays. Comedians Sophie Duker, Grace Campbell, and Alexandra Haddow have all decided to boycott the event, citing Barclays' alleged involvement in the Israel- Hamas conflict.
Duker, who shared her decision on social media with a photo from a previous Latitude Festival and a video explanation, criticized Barclays for "profiting from the production of weaponry" used in the conflict. She emphasized her commitment to minimizing her complicity in what she views as a pattern of "abhorrent, unlawful violence," despite facing significant backlash, including violent abuse and death threats, for her pro Palestinian stance.
Grace Campbell, daughter of Sir Tony Blair's former spokesman Alastair Campbell, and comedian Alexandra Haddow also announced their withdrawal. Campbell shared Duker's post on Instagram, while Haddow stated that she could not "in good conscience take the fee," referencing Barclays' inclusion on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) list, which advocates for economic actions against Israel.
The Palestine Action group has accused Barclays of financial involvement in both Israel's weapons trade and fossil fuels, a claim underscored by their recent attacks on 20 Barclays branches across England and Scotland. In response to the artist exodus, Barclays issued a statement acknowledging the "profound human suffering" caused by the war and clarifying that it provides financial services to companies supplying defense products to NATO and its allies but does not directly invest in these companies.
Other musical acts have joined the boycott, including Irish singer songwriter CMAT, who declared she would not allow her music to be associated with violence, and bands like Pillow Queens, Mui Zyu, and Georgia Ruth. Ruth was motivated by authors boycotting the Hay Festival, leading to investment fund Baillie Gifford ending its sponsorship of literary festivals under pressure from the campaign group Fossil Free Books.
Latitude Festival is not alone in facing backlash over sponsorship ties related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and Hove saw over 100 acts withdraw last month due to its association with Barclays. Similarly, the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, experienced artist refusals in March because of its connections to the US military and weapons companies linked to the conflict. The Download Festival in Donington Park, Leicestershire, also witnessed acts like Pest Control, Scowl, Speed, and Zulu pull out due to Barclays' sponsorship.
Despite these withdrawals, tens of thousands are expected to attend Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk, with other comedy acts like Jo Brand, Sara Pascoe, Lucy Beaumont, Rosie Jones, and Judi Love still scheduled to perform.