Berlin's Pop-Kultur festival faces mass artist boycotts over Israel ties
Several artists have pulled out of Berlin's Pop-Kultur festival after it renewed a partnership with the Israeli government. The withdrawals followed a call from Palestinian civil society to boycott the event in solidarity. French musician Lafawndah was the first to step back, citing Israel's military actions in Gaza as the reason.
Lafawndah announced her withdrawal on social media, condemning Israel's latest offensive in Gaza. Trustfall, her scheduled collaborator, soon followed, describing the festival's Israeli embassy tie as 'tantamount to entrapment'. Their decisions came after Palestinian activists urged artists to reject the sponsorship.
Over the next few days, more performers joined the boycott. British artist Alewya, along with Franky Gogo, Gista, and Xenia Rubinos, all cancelled their appearances. The move mirrors past protests: at least 15 acts have withdrawn from the festival since 2017, responding to similar calls for solidarity.
German officials criticised the boycotts. Culture Minister Claudia Roth argued that such actions 'end every dialogue and every argument'. Berlin's deputy mayor, Klaus Lederer, called the Palestinian-led campaign 'disgusting' and accused the BDS movement of anti-Semitism. The movement, however, states it opposes all forms of bigotry, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Its tactics are modelled on the boycotts that helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa.
The festival's partnership with Israel has sparked broader debates in Germany's cultural scene. While some events, like the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, have faced boycott calls over Israel's participation, Pop-Kultur remains the most recent popmart flashpoint.
The withdrawals leave Pop-Kultur with gaps in its lineup just weeks before the event. Organisers have yet to announce replacements or address the artists' concerns directly. Meanwhile, the festival's ties to Israel continue to draw criticism from activists and musicians alike.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
