Massive Attack have released a bold and politically charged statement addressing the growing tensions surrounding festival sponsorships and artist boycotts in 2025. Shared via their official Instagram account, the band’s message highlights the controversial ties between major music festivals and financial institutions with interests in fossil fuels and the arms industry.
“Festivals & arenas have become contested spaces, but not because (some) artists dare to express political opinions. ” opens the statement — a clear reference to the recent controversy involving Irish rap group Kneecap, who faced removal from festival lineups following their pro-Palestinian stance at Coachella. Massive Attack had previously shown solidarity with the group.
The UK band goes further, however, painting a broader picture of the intersecting interests between culture, capitalism, and global exploitation. Their post accompanies a dystopian video collage styled as a faux festival advertisement — filled with logos of Barclays, KKR, BlackRock, Allianz, Airbnb, and footage of environmental disasters, war, and corporate executives.
“Private equity [= read public inequality] & corporate finance needs to own everything from the water you drink, to the spaces you go to for escape.
. the message continues.
“Behind the VIP shop windows, out the back, are sweatshops of fossil fuel & war machine $”
In recent months, artists have begun withdrawing from festivals with sponsors like Barclays (linked to weapons used by the Israeli army) or Sónar’s ties to private equity giant KKR. Massive Attack’s statement reflects this wider shift, where musicians are taking a stand against what they see as moral compromises in the live music industry.
Their final words? A clear call to resistance:
“Don’t dance to their music.”
A phrase that urges fans and fellow artists alike to question the forces controlling their stages — and their silence.