Palestinian-led BDS Movement calls for boycott of Radiohead concerts

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement has called for a boycott of upcoming Radiohead concerts over the band's "complicit silence" about Gaza and history of performing in Israel.

The Palestinian-led movement aims to economically and socially pressure Israel to comply with international law. Their Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel advocates for artists to not perform in Israel and to use their platforms to speak out for Gaza.

"Palestinians reiterate our call for the boycott of Radiohead concerts, including its rumoured tour, until the group convincingly distances itself, at a minimum, from Jonny Greenwood’s crossing of our peaceful picket line during Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," said BDS in a statement posted to Instagram.

Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood performed in Tel Aviv with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa in May 2024 and again in March 2025. Tassa has willingly performed for the Israeli Defense Forces during ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Greenwood and Tassa's UK concerts, initially planned for later this month, were cancelled "following peaceful BDS pressure, given the artists’ clear and irrefutable links to whitewashing Israel’s genocide in Gaza," according to BDS.

Greenwood claimed the gigs were cancelled due to "credible threats" to the venues. He wrote in a statement that the cancellation would "be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don’t find that anything positive has been achieved"

"Radiohead has also crossed our nonviolent picket line, performing in Tel Aviv in 2017 and artwashing Israel’s regime of apartheid and military occupation," said BDS, adding, "It has yet to apologise for doing so."

Radiohead played a gig in Tel Aviv during their last tour in July 2017, despite calls to cancel the performance. Singer Thom Yorke defended the decision at the time, claiming that playing in a country does not equate to endorsing its government.

In 2024, Yorke clashed with an audience member who criticised his silence about Gaza. After the protester shouted, "How many dead children will it take for you to condemn the genocide in Gaza?" Yorke walked off stage and ended the show early.

"Singer Thom Yorke recently attempted damage control against the growing rejection among Radiohead fans of Jonny Greenwood’s shameful artwashing of genocide, and Thom Yorke’s accompanying silence," BDS continued.

York posted a statement in May attempting to explain his stance on Gaza, in which he claimed he was "in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity" and that he "struggled to find an adequate way to respond." He added that individuals calling for him to use his platform "has had a heavy toll on my mental health."

BDS wrote that the statement was "itself whitewashing genocide."

"Complicity must have consequences," BDS concluded.

The news comes after Radiohead's announcement that they will play 20 gigs across Europe, their first live performances in seven years.

At the time of writing, no members of Radiohead have responded to the statement.

Read the full statement below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BDS Movement (@bds.movement)