The UKs biggest metal, alternative and rock and festival Download is experiencing boycotts from a number of artists and acts over one of its sponsors – Barclays Bank. The festival, which is due to take place this weekend beginning on the 14th of June, is in partnership with Barclays Bank which has been identified as investing in companies that supply weapons to Israel.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) states on their website that the company ‘is bankrolling Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians.’ According to their research, ‘Barclays bank now holds over £2 billion in shares, and provides £6.1 billion in loans and underwriting, to 9 companies whose weapons, components, and military technology are being used by Israel in its attacks on Palestinians.’ This, along with the mass walkout by over 100 bands and artists over a similar issue with May’s Great Escape festival has encouraged acts due to play at this weekends Download to boycott the event.
It began with the band Pest Control who wrote in a post on their Instagram that they ‘will not take part in an event whose sponsor profits from facilitating a genocide.’ as well as that they refuse to ‘sacrifice the principles held by this band and by the scene we come from and represent, just for personal gain.’
The Leeds band then created a ripple effect causing punk bands Speed, Scowl and Zulu to pull themselves from the event too and instead have organised a benefit show which will take place at the Centrala in Birmingham on the evening of Friday the 14th. Unfortunately, all tickets for this impromptu show sold out in just 6 minutes but if fans are still wanting to donate you can check out the @birminghamhardcoreshows Instagram page for information on how to do so.
This Friday! A benefit for Palestine Thank you to everyone who put this together last minute and all the bands playing. pic.twitter.com/qpMAlv04LB — SCOWL (@Scowl40831) June 11, 2024
London hardcore metal band Ithaca have also decided to snub Download too and this isn’t the only festival getting the cold-shoulder this summer. Latitude is experiencing a similar situation with a number of comedians refusing to perform at the July event including Sophie Duker, Grace Campbell and Alexandra Haddow, along with many other musicians. To keep up to date with the ever-changing situation, you can follow @bandsboycottbarclays who are leading the movement.
These boycotts have come at a time when Barclays Bank has been attracting increasing outrage from pro-palestine protesters as over 20 Barclays Branches have been defaced and covered in red paint in the last two weeks according to the Guardian. The article also notes that ‘in Edinburgh, rocks inscribed with the names of dead Palestinians were thrown at a bank branch.’
Pro-Palestine activists smash windows at Barclays bank branches across UK over Israel arms links https://t.co/H8B8eCARI1
— gerard larose (@gerardlaro5723) June 12, 2024
The Leicestershire festival Download and Barclays are yet to comment on the exodus or the protests but fans are hopeful that the continuing growth in the number of acts boycotting the event will push the festival to remove Barclays as a sponsor.
