More than 120 artists withdrew from The Great Escape festival due to its sponsorship by Barclays, alleging that the bank had links to arms manufacturers, which were accused of funding violence against Palestinians. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign launched a boycott of Barclays in light of the situation, as the bank was reportedly profiting from pain and suffering. Barclays allegedly held £1.3bn ($1.67bn) worth of shares in companies whose military equipment has been used against Palestinian civilians. The bank also provided loans and underwriting worth £3.98bn to these companies.
The campaign for The Great Escape to drop Barclays gathered momentum as more than 50% of artists playing at the event supported it. Even the big names in music, including Idles, Brian Eno, and Kneecap, backed the campaign. Alfie Templeman echoed the sentiment of other artists and said, “My morals cannot and will not align with the amalgamation of entertainment and human suffering.”
Bristol band The Menstrual Cramps initiated the campaign and emphasized that they couldn’t endorse the industries that funded violence. They contended, “We cannot let our creative outputs become smokescreens behind which money is funded into war and the killing of our planet.” Artists like Bimini and Bodur have also voiced their opinions, stating that festival organizers have to be more cautious of whom they accept sponsorships from in the future.
The music festival, which is held annually in Brighton, is one of the most awaited events for emerging talents who aspire to become big in the music industry. The Great Escape’s objective is to introduce exclusive and innovative talent to music lovers across the globe. However, the decision to tie up with Barclays directly conflicted with the moral values of the musicians who participated in the boycott this year
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