The Adelaide Festival board is embroiled in a major controversy over artistic freedom and alleged hypocrisy, following its decision to remove Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from its 2026 Writers' Week programme. The move has ignited accusations of anti-Palestinian racism and inconsistent application of its principles, starkly contrasting with its defence of a pro-Israel columnist just two years earlier.
A Tale of Two Cancellations
In February 2024, a group of ten academics, including Abdel-Fattah, petitioned the festival board to rescind its invitation to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Their request came days after Friedman published a contentious piece that drew analogies between the Middle East conflict and the animal kingdom, which critics argued used dehumanising language.
The board, chaired by Tracey Whiting, firmly rejected the petition. In a letter dated 9 February 2024, it stated that asking for a cancellation was "an extremely serious request" and emphasised the festival's international reputation for supporting artistic freedom of expression. It noted Friedman's participation was cancelled due to "last-minute scheduling issues," not the petition.
Fast forward to 2026, and the board's stance appears to have shifted dramatically. It unilaterally decided to remove Randa Abdel-Fattah from the lineup, a move its own director, Louise Adler, did not support. The board cited the need for "cultural sensitivity" so soon after the Bondi Junction tragedy, while stressing it did not link Abdel-Fattah or her writings to the event.
Accusations of Hypocrisy and Racism
South Australia's Premier, Peter Malinauskas, complicated the narrative by claiming the board had dumped Friedman in 2024, a statement the Guardian's evidence contradicts. He expressed support for the "consistent application" of the principle behind Abdel-Fattah's removal.
Abdel-Fattah has vehemently rejected any allegation of hypocrisy on her part. She clarified that her 2024 objection to Friedman was based on his column's use of racist tropes that likened groups to "insects and vermin requiring eradication"—language she argued has historically been used to dehumanise Jewish people among others.
"In contrast, I was cancelled because my presence and identity as a Palestinian was deemed 'culturally insensitive' and linked to the Bondi atrocity," she stated. "I was cancelled because I, a Palestinian, have been a vocal advocate against the actual extermination of my people."
She accused the board of discarding its professed values of artistic freedom when it came to her cancellation, highlighting a stark double standard.
Escalating Fallout and a Festival in Crisis
The decision has triggered a significant backlash, threatening the viability of the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week. More than 70 participants have now withdrawn in protest, a boycott on a scale not seen during the 2024 Friedman episode.
This crisis contrasts with the board's previous support for its director. In 2023, Adler refused to remove Palestinian authors Susan Abulhawa and Mohammed El-Kurd despite sponsor withdrawals and boycotts. At that time, the board backed her vision of festivals as "brave spaces" for difficult ideas, and Premier Malinauskas defended the board's independence from political interference.
The current controversy raises profound questions about the consistent application of free speech principles and the influence of political pressure on cultural institutions. With a mass boycott underway, the Adelaide Festival's handling of this dispute will likely define its reputation for years to come.
