- Music
- 05 Jun 24
THUMPER latest Irish act to pull out of Latitude Festival: "Cultural boycotts work. Free Palestine"
"As a band we believe in the power of boycotts," the six-piece wrote on social media this morning
Following recent announcements from fellow Irish acts CMAT and Pillow Queens, THUMPER have revealed that they are pulling out of this year's edition of Latitude – as "the festival's main sponsor", Barclays, "is listed by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign as an organisation to boycott due to its ties to weapons manufacturers supplying arms to Israel."
Latitude, which returns to Henham Park in Suffolk from July 25-28, is widely regarded as one the UK's top festivals. Its 2024 headliners include Duran Duran, Kasabian, Keane and London Grammar – with other Irish acts Lankum, The Mary Wallopers and Joanne McNally also on the bill.
The Great Escape in Brighton was also boycotted last month, due to its ties to Barclays – with over a third of the acts on the festival's line-up pulling out.
The UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign have urged people to boycott Barclays, claiming it is "bankrolling Israel's genocidal assault on Palestinians through its financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel."
The Bands Boycott Barclays group – made up of musicians and music industry professionals – was launched at the end of April, in an effort to "stand in solidarity with Palestine by boycotting all music festivals partnered with Barclays." As was recently reported by The Guardian, Bands Boycott Barclays' next targets are Latitude and the Isle of Wight Festival.
"As a band we believe in the power of boycotts," THUMPER wrote online this morning. "We take great inspiration from our peers Pillow Queens, CMAT and many other Irish acts who have taken the hit for a greater cause over the last few months.
"Cultural boycotts work," they added. "Free Palestine."
Read THUMPER's full statement on Instagram:
View this post on Instagram
THUMPER released their debut album, Delusions of Grandeur in 2022. The band are set to play the Workman's Club in Dublin on July 23, and The George Tavern in London on July 25.
