Azealia Banks has dropped out of Boomtown and Maiden Voyage festivals after claiming promoters had been attempting to drive her to say “Free Palestine”.
The rapper was as a consequence of play at Boomtown in Hampshire in early August and at Maiden Voyage in Burgess Park, London a number of days later, however it now appears that she has pulled out of each appearances.
Writing on X on Wednesday (June 25), Banks wrote: “So guys, I’m cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, the promoters have been stressing me out for weeks attempting to drive me to say free Palestine and threatening to chop me from the invoice as a result of I received’t say free Palestine and I’m not coping with the threats and I’m not placing on a fucking hijab.”
“They’re each mainly attempting to extort me – by insinuating that I have to say I help Palestine or they are going to drop me from the gig BUT I’d a lot fairly drop them and never affiliate with something that has low cost group assume bullshit hooked up to it.”
So guys, I’m cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, the promoters have been stressing me out for weeks attempting to drive me to say free Palestine and threatening to chop me from the invoice as a result of I received’t say free Palestine and I’m not coping with the threats and I’m not placing on…
— Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) June 25, 2025
“In the event that they need to permit some no-name dj’s to bully them into desecrating the character of this music ecosystem and make ME the difficulty – while there being completely no moral consumption underneath capitalism. Then that’s advantageous.”
“Extra thinly veiled racism And overt antisemitism from the fucking gays for Hamas,” she concluded, earlier than including signing off: “#FUCKPALESTINE”.
Since her submit, Boomtown Pageant have issued a response, saying: “Following her submit on X within the early hours of this morning, we are able to verify that Azealia Banks has withdrawn from the lineup and can now not be acting at Boomtown Pageant. For readability, Boomtown doesn’t and can by no means dictate the private views and beliefs of performers.”
NME has contacted the organisers of Maiden Voyage for a response.
In a follow-up submit, Banks added: “And no, I’m not saying fuck precise Palestine. However fuck your dumb ass slogans and performative bullshit. Yall wanna make a stance so dangerous however stand for completely nothing. As quickly because the media says pedophilia is “pure and regular,” You bitches will probably be proper there speaking about #PEDOPHILERIGHTS”
Like I see what yall raggedy bitches are doing and it’s foul.
A bunch of people that didn’t get booked for festivals placing stress on promoters and artists to drop out of gigs due to some random backwards non-association to Israel.
And truthfully the nerve of these…
— Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) June 25, 2025
“Like be fucking forreal,” she continued. “That struggle has been occurring within the background for fucking many years . Method earlier than anybody alive at present was born. And abruptly yall are throwing round phrases like genocide and Zionist not even figuring out the that means of these phrases. When you drive round in ur teslas and go away feedback out of your iPhones all constructed off the backs and the blood of youngsters working in mines from nightfall til daybreak.”
“There may be zero moral consumption underneath capitalism. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING.”
She went on to say that she intends to spend the remainder of the music making new music, teasing that “it’s time for a brand new AB document”.
Many artists have opted to take time to talk out in help of a free Palestine this competition season, together with Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Sam Fender, Public Enemy, Peaches and Child Cudi.
Kneecap additionally used their Coachella set to talk out on the identical concern. Since then, they’ve been charged in courtroom over footage exhibiting Mo Chara displaying a Hezbollah flag on stage. The band have constantly denied supporting both Hamas or Hezbollah and have stated they don’t incite or condone violence.
Banks, in the meantime, has been no stranger to courting controversy throughout her profession. In latest months, she has launched a scathing assault on Doechii and claimed that her success was “giving DEI rent”, and criticised Bebe Rexha’s bodily look on the Met Gala, inflicting Rexha to disclose her being pregnant loss.
Final December, she issued a stop and desist letter to The 1975’s Matty Healy, demanding $1million in damages whereas claiming that he had threatened bodily violence in opposition to her in a web-based confrontation.
