Rapper Azealia Banks has dropped out of British festivals Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, claiming that promoters from each event were trying to force her to say “Free Palestine”.
Banks was due to play at both Boomtown in Hampshire and London’s Maiden Voyage in early August. After a twitter tirade yesterday (June 25), it looks like she’s pulled out of both performances.
Writing on X/Twitter, Banks wrote: “So guys, I am cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, the promoters have been stressing me out for weeks trying to force me to say free Palestine and threatening to cut me from the bill because I won’t say free Palestine and I’m not dealing with the threats and I’m not putting on a f***ing hijab.”
So guys, I am cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, the promoters have been stressing me out for weeks trying to force me to say free Palestine and threatening to cut me from the bill because I won’t say free Palestine and I’m not dealing with the threats and I’m not putting on…
— Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) June 25, 2025
“They’re both basically trying to extort me – by insinuating that I need to say I support Palestine or they will drop me from the gig BUT I would much rather drop them and not associate with anything that has cheap group think bulls**t attached to it.”
“If they want to allow some no-name dj’s to bully them into desecrating the nature of this music ecosystem and make ME the issue – whilst there being absolutely no ethical consumption under capitalism. Then that’s fine.”
“More thinly veiled racism And overt antisemitism from the f***ing gays for Hamas,” she concluded, before adding signing off: “#F***PALESTINE”.
Following her posts, Boomtown Festival have issued a statement to The Standard, saying: “Following her post on X in the early hours of this morning, we can confirm that Azealia Banks has withdrawn from the lineup and will no longer be performing at Boomtown Festival. For clarity, Boomtown does not and will never dictate the personal views and beliefs of performers.”
On both festivals Instagram accounts, they shared posts confirming the removal of Banks, while promising that a replacement artist would be announced shortly.
It seems that controversy is never far from Banks. She’s well known for her outspoken opinions and celebrity beefs. Earlier in the year, the ‘212’ rapper made headlines for criticising the Glastonbury 2025 line-up, calling out artists like Charli XCX and The 1975 – last year, she was embroiled in a twitter beef with the band’s frontman, Matty Healy, with the two musicians engaged in a bitter back-and-forth. You can read MXDWN’s coverage on that here.
