Glastonbury 2024: Palestinian Flags, Coldplay's Surprise Guest, and Banksy's Bold Statement
The Emotional Impact of This Year’s Glastonbury Festival
This year’s Glastonbury Festival has been an emotional experience for me, despite not attending in person and only watching highlights on YouTube. The festival's atmosphere, combined with the intense historical moments unfolding globally, has brought a profound sense of emotional weight.
In recent times, many of us have been exposed to distressing footage on social media, particularly from Gaza. This exposure often results in what is known as "vicarious trauma" or "secondary traumatic stress." Vicarious trauma occurs when individuals experience distress and psychological effects from witnessing traumatic events indirectly, such as through media or other accounts, even if they are not directly involved.
For me, the situation is particularly heart-wrenching as I witness Israel's actions, which I perceive as ethnic cleansing and genocide against my people. The genocide in Gaza has faced significant censorship on social media, leading to less visibility of content from Palestinians. As Israel's actions continue, the voices and images that provide us a window into the Palestinian experience are being systematically silenced.
Amidst this backdrop, watching performances from artists at Glastonbury has been a mixed emotional journey. One moment that stood out was Dua Lipa's powerful gesture towards Gaza. During her performance, she made a significant statement by moving into the crowd and standing close to a Palestinian flag that read 'Glasto for Palestine'. This simple yet profound act, where she sang near the flag for about a minute, brought immense joy to me. It was a reminder that music festivals are spaces for expression and solidarity.
Source: Dua Lipa - Be The One (Glastonbury 2024) - BBC Sounds Youtube
Similarly, I attended the Wide Awake Festival recently, where there was visible support for Gaza, including a fundraiser stall with Sisters Uncut for a Palestinian charity. This act of solidarity was heartening and reinforced the importance of such expressions in public spaces.
Source: Benaggoune, E. (2024) [Photograph]. Unpublished.
Another touching moment at Glastonbury was Coldplay’s performance with Elyanna, a Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter. They performed "Arabesque" (feat. Femi Kuti), and hearing her sing in Arabic at one of the largest festivals was incredibly moving. Elyanna has also performed at Coachella, but seeing her at Glastonbury felt particularly poignant amidst the current context.
This year’s Glastonbury, while physically distant for me, has been a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of art, expression, and global issues. The gestures of support and solidarity from artists have provided a glimmer of hope and emotional solace during these challenging times.
Banksy, the enigmatic street artist known for his poignant social commentary, made a striking appearance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. As the Bristol-based band IDLES performed, a boat dinghy carrying a symbolic refugee figure crowd-surfed among the massive audience, delivering a powerful message about the refugee crisis.
(X/Twitter/ @MrCarb1)
Banksy has a history of using high-profile platforms, especially music events, to convey his messages. In 2019, he collaborated with Stormzy, who wore a stab-proof vest designed by Banksy during his performance, making a profound statement on knife crime and youth violence.
Stormzy during his headline set at Glastonbury. Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
This latest act at Glastonbury comes at a crucial time, amid ongoing political debates about refugees and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The simplicity and potency of Banksy's gesture—a dinghy in a sea of festival-goers—underscores the urgency and importance of the refugee issue. It serves as a reminder of the human stories behind the headlines and the need for empathy and action in addressing this global crisis.
Music festivals, clubs, and rave venues are sanctuaries where people unite for the love of music, culture, and the pressing political issues that shape our world. These spaces not only influence the music scenes but also provide a platform for individuals to voice their thoughts on their culture and global events, offering a place to let go, dance, and truly be themselves. This freedom of expression, even with political views, is what makes these events so special to me.
This year's Glastonbury Festival has embraced this spirit, not shying away from Palestinian flags and allowing supportive artists to perform. It reminds us that while some believe politics and music shouldn't mix, those deeply immersed in the music scenes know how crucial this intersection is. This bittersweet realisation of the power of music festivals to reflect and respond to our world is why I cherish these spaces so deeply.