Britpop legends Pulp have reversed their decision to boycott the Adelaide Festival, confirming they will now perform a free concert next month. The band's initial withdrawal was a protest against the festival's treatment of Palestinian-Australian writer and academic, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah.
The Boycott That Forced a Festival U-Turn
The controversy erupted last week when the board behind the Adelaide Writers' Week, a sister event to the music festival, barred Dr Abdel-Fattah from speaking. The organisers cited 'cultural sensitivity' following the Bondi terror attack as their reason, a move that sparked immediate condemnation and led to dozens of other speakers pulling out in solidarity.
Pulp, who were scheduled to headline the music festival on 27 February, swiftly decided to join the boycott. In a statement released on social media, the band said they were 'appalled' by the decision to silence Abdel-Fattah and stated they 'refuse to condone the silencing of voices'.
Apology and Board Resignations Lead to Resolution
Following Pulp's threat to withdraw, festival organisers urgently sought a resolution. The band agreed to delay their public announcement while talks took place. This resulted in significant concessions from the festival's leadership.
The board responsible for the original decision has largely stood down and been replaced. The entire 2024 Writers' Week programme was scrapped, and a full apology was issued to and accepted by Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. Crucially, she has been formally invited to speak at the festival event in 2027.
A Free Concert for Unity
With these changes in place, Pulp declared the festival programmers were now 'acting in good faith'. Consequently, the band felt able to honour their performance commitment. They announced the 27 February show will now be a free concert, open to all.
On his Instagram, frontman Jarvis Cocker said the band was happy to be performing again, describing the initial situation as 'dreadful'. He stated the free concert would be for 'anyone who respects the freedom of all voices to be heard' and promised, 'It will also be fun.'
The episode highlights the potent influence of artistic boycotts and concludes with a significant victory for advocates of free speech, culminating in a unique free performance for Adelaide music fans.
