- Music
- 15 Apr 24
Cherym pull out of The Great Escape festival over Barclays partnership
The band criticised the bank’s investments with companies supplying the IDF for their attacks on Gaza.
The Derry punk band Cherym have announced that they pulled out of The Great Escape festival due to its ties with Barclays. The news follows a petition started by over 375 musicians and industry professionals calling for the festival to sever ties with the bank.
Cherym shared a statement on social media explaining their decision: “Barclays/Barclaycard are responsible for investing over £1 bn+ into companies that are arming the IDF,” they say, “and providing weaponry that enables the ongoing atrocities against Palestinians to continue.”
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Other bands such as The Menstrual Cramps, Orchards and Other Half have also pulled out of the festival, followed by the labels Alcopop! Records and Big Scary Monsters. In addition, a petition was started by the promoter How To Catch a Pig and The Menstrual Cramps calling on the festival to drop Barclays as a partner. It was signed by artists including Big Sleep, Kneecap, Alfie Templeman and Wunderhorse, amongst others.
This decision comes a month after all programmed Irish artists made the decision to boycott Austin’s SXSW festival due to its connection with the US army and weapon suppliers amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.
To read the petition against The Great Escape Festival and their involvement with Barclays bank, click here.
