CMAT to donate Latitude fee to Palestinian relief funds

CMAT has confirmed today that she is back on the bill for Latitude 2024 – and is set to donate "the entire profit of [her] fee to various Palestinian relief funds."

Last month, the Irish artist stated that she was pulling out of Latitude, due to the festival's ties to Barclays/Barclaycard. However, following that major artist-led boycott, it was announced earlier this month that the bank are no longer sponsoring Latitude, as well as several other prominent UK festivals.

The UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign group urged people to boycott the bank, which they claim "is bankrolling Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians through its financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel."

According to the PSC's latest research, Barclays "now invests over £2 billion in, and provides financial services worth £6.1 billion to, companies arming Israel."

CMAT was one of several Irish acts – along with Pillow Queens, THUMPER and more – who announced that they were pulling out of the festival, which returns to Henham Park in Suffolk from July 25-28.

"I made Latitude aware of what my decision would be weeks ago," CMAT wrote online at the time, "but was hoping that with all of the press surrounding the brave artists who pulled out of The Great Escape festival for the same reasons, that Latitude would divest from Barclays or find another sponsor.

"This has not happened and it has been made clear to me that it will not happen," she continues. "As such I am now officially pulling out. I will not allow my precious work, my music, which I love so much, to get into bed with violence. Myself, and the entire CMAT touring crew who I love so much, refuse to be complicit in genocide."

CMAT at Fairview Park Shot by Patricia Rosingana (xbadbon)

On her Instagram Stories today, June 28, CMAT wrote:

"...yes, we are playing Latitude again now that Barclays made the decision to withdraw their funding from the festival. I have to be honest and say that this does not feel like a cause for celebration due to numerous factors behind the scenes.

"But I also don't want to let anyone down, and I now know that many people bought tickets to the festival to see us play, specifically. So the CMAT band will be playing, and I (Ciara) will be donating the entire profit of my fee to various Palestinian relief funds."

She ended her Story with the statement: "Free Palestine".

CMAT will play Latitude's Obelisk Arena – home to the festival's main stage – on Saturday, July 27.

Earlier this month, CMAT played a major sold-out headliner at Fairview Park in Dublin – her biggest Irish headline show to date. Read our full live report here.