Irish singer CMAT pulls out of UK festival over Barclays sponsorship
In a bold move this week, Irish pop singer Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, also known as CMAT, decided to withdraw from the UK’s Latitude Festival. The reason? A strong protest against the festival’s sponsorship by Barclays Bank.
Campaigners have raised concerns over Barclays increasing its investments in arms companies that have ties to Israel. This has sparked outrage among many in the music industry.
This isn’t the first time Barclays has faced backlash for its festival sponsorships. In May, over 100 artists pulled out of The Great Escape festival in Brighton for the same reason.
The Bands Boycott Barclays (BBB) organization has been leading the charge against the bank, accusing it of using music festivals to “launder its reputation.” However, Barclays denies these allegations.
In a statement, Thompson revealed that she had urged Latitude Festival to seek a different sponsor. Unfortunately, it became clear to her that this request would not be entertained.