Festivals

Latitude, Download, and Isle of Wight Festivals all remove Barclays partnership following band boycott

The news comes after The Great Escape was also severely disrupted by artists dropping out in protest of the bank’s financial ties to Israel.

Photo: Matt Eachus

14th June 2024
Words: Daisy Carter

Latitude, Download, The Great Escape, Isle of Wight, News, Festivals

Festivals under the Live Nation banner - Latitude, Download, and Isle of Wight - have now all removed Barclays as a partner for 2024 after numerous artists withdrew from their lineups in support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, over claims that the bank has “financial ties to companies producing weapons and military technology used in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians”.

In a statement issued to Sky News, Latitude Festival has said: “Following discussion with artists, we have agreed with Barclays that they will step back from sponsorship of Latitude Festival”. Barclays is no longer listed as a sponsor or partner on the websites of either Latitude, Download, or Isle of Wight Festivals.

Artists including CMAT, Pillow Queens, and mui zyu had previously announced that they would not play Latitude this year in protest of Barclays’ sponsorship, as had comedians Joanne McNally, Sophie Duker, Grace Campbell, and Alexandra Haddow. This weekend’s Download Festival, meanwhile, had already seen bands including Pest Control, Speed, Scowl, and Zulu drop out.

The announcement comes in the wake of the mass artist boycott of this year’s Great Escape Festival last month, where over 100 acts originally booked to play the Barclays-partnered Brighton festival withdrew from the lineup in solidarity with the BDS campaign.

Sharing the news of the campaign’s success via Instagram, the Bands Boycott Barclays initiative has commented:

“📢📢📢WE DID IT!!!!! Hundreds of artists took collective action in solidarity with Palestine and Barclaycard are no longer on the websites of @downloadfest @latitudefest @isleofwightfest @campbestival. This is a HISTORIC victory for the Palestinian-led global BDS movement!!!

Musicians have destroyed Barclays’ dual strategy of financing genocide in Palestine while advertising its brand and “customer perks” at British music festivals. This is the power of solidarity, collective action and the dedicated global commitment to do all we can for Palestinian liberation.”

Check out the post in full below.