Barclays has suspended its sponsorship of all 2024 music festivals organized by Live Nation, including popular events such as Download, Latitude and the Isle of Wight Festival.
This decision comes after the protests and withdrawals of many artists due to Barclays' investment relationships with arms companies that trade with Israel.
The move came after artists including country singer CMAT, metal band Ithaca and comedian Joan McAnally pulled out of their scheduled shows this summer. In response, Live Nation confirmed that Barclays would step back from sponsoring the festivals following discussions with artists.
Barclays had signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Live Nation in 2023, but this suspension reportedly does not cover the full term of the contract.
Lankum, a Mercury-nominated band scheduled to perform at Latitude, expressed its approval of the announcement on Instagram, highlighting the collective effort it has been put by bands, artists and fans to get to this point. They stressed the importance of standing together for a common cause.
The decision follows a larger trend of arts protest against Barclays, including a boycott by more than 100 artists of the Great Escape festival in Brighton in May. The demonstrators accused Barclays Bank of increasing its investments in arms companies involved with Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A Barclays spokesperson confirmed the suspension and confirmed that customers with festival tickets will not be affected. “Barclays has been requested and has agreed to suspend participation in the remaining Live Nation festivals in 2024,” they stated. The bank reiterated its commitment to the defense sector as essential to national and allied security, despite protests that led to employee intimidation and sabotage.
Several bands, including Pest Control, Speed, Scowl, Zulu and Ithaca, have pulled out of Download Festival this weekend. Pest Control highlighted their refusal to sacrifice their principles for personal gain, while Ithaca called on festival organizers to think more carefully about who they accept funding from.
Irish singer CMAT has withdrawn from Latitude, citing her unwillingness to allow her music to be associated with violence. Comedians Joanne McNally and Sophie Docker have also withdrawn, with Docker stressing her commitment to avoiding complicity in violence.
Grace Campbell, the daughter of Tony Blair's former spokesman Alastair Campbell, and fellow comedian Alexandra Haddow also canceled their shows, with Haddow saying she could not “in good conscience afford the fees”.
Barclays has previously acknowledged the human suffering caused by the conflict in Gaza, noting that it provides financial services rather than direct investments in defense companies, and stressing that decisions on an arms embargo must be made by governments.
Protest group Bands Boycott Barclays celebrated the suspension as a victory, condemning Barclays for its involvement with arms companies and calling their decision a moral victory. They thanked the hundreds of artists who took action to make their voices heard.
