The letter comes after the December 4 vote held by organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), that decided Israel would be allowed to participate in the 2026 contest in Vienna next month. The decision was made despite both Israel’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and controversy over Eurovision 2025’s voting process.

Massive Attack, Brian Eno, IDLES, Primal Scream, Paloma Faith, Kneecap, Paul Weller, Hot Chip, Of Monsters and Men, Sigur Rós, Mogwai, Black Country New Road, Nadine Shah, Nemahsis and several previous Eurovision finalists are among the artists which signed today’s (21 April) open letter. In it, No Music For Genocide calls for the EBU to apply the same exclusions standards to Israel as have applied to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia has been banned from Eurovision since 2022.

NMFG’s campaign urges artists to geo-block their music from streaming platforms in Israel. Since September the movement has seen support from Kneecap, Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C., Primal Scream, Hayley Williams, Rina Sawayama and many more artists.

 Today’s open letter also calls on “public broadcasters, performers, screening party organisers, crew, and fans to boycott Eurovision.” Last year’s Eurovision final drew in 166 million viewers worldwide, a staggering figure which rivals both the Super Bowl and the Grammys viewerships. NMFG cited this as a reason for their urgency in calling for the boycott in their Instagram post, found below.

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The EBU said in a statement, “A large majority of Members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.” 

Four countries dropped from the 2026 competition as a result of the December 4 vote from the EBU: Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain will not participate. Six days later, on December 10, Iceland withdrew from the contest. On the same day, 11 of Portugal’s 16 entrants said they will decline performing if they win. This threatens Portugal’s ability to participate in Eurovision 2026. 

The open letter commends the aforementioned countries, saying NMFG “applaud[s] the principled withdrawals of the Spanish, Irish, Icelandic, Slovenian, and Dutch broadcasters, and the many national selection finalists committing to refuse to go to Eurovision. Just as artists stood against oppression in South Africa, we stand together now.”

Irish hip-hop trio, Kneecap spoke on the open letter: “We’ve paid a price for speaking out – lost gigs, court cases, visa bans – and we’d do it all again tomorrow. Silence is complicity. We stand with No Music for Genocide and every artist, fan and broadcaster who refuses to let the world’s biggest music event be used to whitewash genocide. No stage for genocide. Free Palestine.”

Fellow signees, Massive Attack, have also previously faced scrutiny for their support of these issues. Robert Del Naja was detained on 11 April at a protest connected to Palestinian Action. Just days later, the group released their first new music since 2020: the single ‘Boots on the Ground’ featuring Tom Waits and rife with political commentary.

The BBC will go on airing Eurovision 2026 from 14 May to 16 May, despite many British artists signing NMFG’s letter. In a statement after the December 4 vote, the BBC said it supports “the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive.”

In NFMG’s own statement regarding their open letter, organisers said they “[stand] with and [amplify] the incredible grassroots organising efforts across Europe to boycott Eurovision until Israel is banned. From PACBI to direct actionists, from Film Workers For Palestine in Hollywood to striking dockworkers in Italy and Morocco, people of conscience around the globe are fighting complicity in every industry for a free Palestine and a freer world.”

The entire open letter from No Music for Genocide is available to read here. 

The track carries the kind of dark, urgent tone Massive Attack have long made their trademark. Framed as a response to social and political disorder, it continues the band’s history of pairing music with pointed visual and political commentary. The release is accompanied by a music video featuring imagery assembled by Massive Attack, underlining the group’s long-standing interest in using art to sharpen the message around their work.

The collaboration with Tom Waits gives the single added weight. Waits’s involvement is notable as it marks his first original recording in years, while for Massive Attack it represents a rare new release after a relatively quiet period. The pairing also plays to the strengths of both artists: Waits’s distinctive voice and songwriting style sit alongside Massive Attack’s brooding, atmospheric production, creating a release that feels both unexpected and fitting.

The single is being issued digitally and will also appear on 12-inch vinyl, with an exclusive B-side titled “The Fly.” Massive Attack have also said the physical release is being handled with an eco-conscious pressing and packaging process, a detail that fits with the group’s long-standing awareness of the wider issues surrounding their work.

Del Naja’s arrest has added another layer of political attention around the band. He was detained on 11 April 2026 during a protest connected to Palestine Action, with police saying he was arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation. BBC News reported that more than 200 people were arrested at the demonstration in Trafalgar Square, where protesters were opposing the government’s ban on the group.

Massive Attack have often been linked with activism and public political statements, so the arrest sits within a broader pattern rather than standing apart from it. In that sense, the week’s events have reinforced the extent to which the band’s music and politics continue to intersect. ‘Boots on the Ground’ goes beyond a comeback single, arriving as part of a moment that brings together new music, collaboration and protest in the same frame.

While nowadays they make headlines more for their political activism, Massive Attack are still one of the most respected electronic acts in the UK, and they still love a good live show. The Bristol trip-hop duo have today announced a run of 5 live shows across Europe later this year on their “xLive 2026” tour, their first European solo excursion in 7 years.

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Formed in 1988, Massive Attack sprung from Bristol’s Wild Bunch sound-system collective, part of the city’s electronic music scene throughout the 80’s. The culture brought DJing, rapping, and graffiti art together to create an underground movement that transcended the music. Currently consisting of just two members, Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, their sound is a shifting mix of slow, atmospheric electronic music, with influence from early hiphop and an assortment of diverse vocal features. Their success has included two UK Number One Albums with ‘Mezzanine’ in 1998 and ‘100th Window’ in 2003, as well as winning Best British Dance Act at the 1996 Brit Awards.

The collective have a reputation for speaking out on global issues, especially climate change, conflict and corporate greed. Their website is a testament to this, ditching the usual news and tour information in favour of displaying their mission statement on their crusade to reduce the environmental impact of live shows. One of their most high-profile cases was last year’s run in with music streaming giant Spotify. In September, they started by signing onto the protest movement “No Music For Genocide”, which requested that streaming services cease from allowing their music to be played in Israel, due to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza. They then took things further by motioning that Spotify remove their full discography altogether, after it was revealed their billionaire CEO Daniel Ek was investing money in a weapons company linked to Israel.

After a five year break, Del Naja and Marshall returned to playing live in 2024, holding a “Climate Change Accelerator” show in their home city Bristol that August, where they worked with local businesses to reduce the carbon footprint of the event. On their website, they say “the Bristol show is widely predicted to be the lowest carbon show of its size ever staged”, and express intent to continue this ethos into all of their future shows.

Until this morning, their 2026 plans only consisted of appearances at Primavera Sound festivals in both Barcelona and Portugal this June. They announced the new European dates earlier in a post on social media, their first headline tour on the continent since 2019. Stopping over May and June in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium, the full run of the tour looks like this:

• Veikkaus Arena, Helsinki – 27/05
• Dalhalla, Rättvik – 30/05
• Royal Arena, Copenhagen – 01/06
• Zitadelle, Berlin – 07/06
• Forest National, Brussels – 08/06

While there is no announcement for British shows, fans can still hope for at least something this year. Speaking to NME in 2024, when asked about future releases Del Naja said “We do have some new music which we’ve been sitting on for four years… dispute at the label – that’s a different article altogether.” Whatever the drama, there appears to have been a breakthrough since, as Massive Attack shared a post last November revealing their intent to release “a cache of work created in the recent past” at some point in 2026.

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At the top of the lineup, the festival has secured a handful of heavyweights who reflect the range of its audience. The Cure will bring their signature gothic presence  to Barcelona, continuing their celebrated run of large scale festival appearances and rumoured new material. Doja Cat represents the contemporary pop and hip-hop end of the spectrum, promising a high energy performance that will contrast sharply with the introspective reunion of The xx, who are returning to the stage after years away. Gorillaz, with a brand new album set for early 2026, will no doubt deliver a multimedia spectacle, while Massive Attack, making their long awaited Primavera debut, will provide a politically charged and sonically immersive experience. The headliner tier is rounded out by acts like My Bloody Valentine, who remain a touchstone for shoegaze fans.

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Beyond the top line, Primavera Sound 2026 continues its tradition of building a deep and diverse undercard. Indie and alternative music fans will find much to savour, with acts like Wet Leg, Big Thief, Slowdive, and Mac DeMarco filling the indie quota. What truly makes Primavera Sound stand out, however, is its commitment to experimentalism and global reach. Alongside the better known names are artists who push boundaries in less commercial spaces, as well as those who bring distinct cultural perspectives. Spanish acts such as Rojuu and Renaldo & Clara will provide a local touch, while international voices like Ghanaian star Amaarae underline the festival’s global approach to programming.

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In addition to the main festival dates, there will be opening and closing events to stretch the celebration further into June, giving attendees even more chances to explore new sounds. Tickets go on presale September 29 for fans and on general sale the following day, with both standard and VIP options available.

In a statement released via the Band’s Instagram, they announced their plans to counteract what is in their words a “genocidal state in Israel.” this includes removing their music from Spotify and all other streaming services in the region.

The Band said the following:

“We’d appeal to all musicians to transfer their sadness, anger and artistic contributions into a coherent, reasonable & vital action to end the unspeakable hell being visited upon the Palestinians hour after hour.”

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“In 1991 the scourge of apartheid violence fell from South Africa, aided from a distance by public boycotts, protests, & the withdrawal of work by artists, musicians and actors. Complicity with that state was considered unacceptable. In 2025 the same now applies to the genocidal state of Israel. ”

‘No Music For Genocide’ say their movement, which they call a ‘cultural boycott of Israel, is not only for renowned artists like Massive Attack, but for those at every level of the industry:

“While big earners and major label artists also have a critical role to play in this fight, the goals of No Music For Genocide stretch beyond raw financial impact. Each of us can collectively push our different scenes, communities, and cultures toward a ‘new normal’ in which pro-Palestine efforts are common sense.”

“This initiative is borderless and open to all artists and labels who want to boycott. We hope it leads to additional efforts against the music industry’s complicity.”

There have been instances of artists removing material from Spotify in weeks gone, due largely to the business ventures of CEO Daniel Ek. A 693 million dollar investment in Helsing, a defence company located in Europe, has sparked mass controversy.

Helsing is a company that uses AI to analyse weaponry, and even develops military drones itself. Its involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, alongside the war in Gaza have caused many artists to pull their music from Spotify, particularly in conflict regions.

The show will take place on November 13, 2025, at Espaço Unimed. Sharing the stage are Brazilian icons Cavalera, featuring members brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera of Sepultura, who will perform ‘Chaos A.D.’, one of Sepultura’s most politically charged albums, which critiques authoritarianism, environmental destruction, and social injustice. Their involvement brings a raw edge to the evening, whilst aligning with Massive Attack’s own tradition of politically conscious productions.

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What sets this concert apart is its direct coordination with Indigenous organisations across the Amazon. Representatives will not only be present but will actively shape the event. Speaking to NME, Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja said this collaboration is “more than a passing of the mic.” Instead, it is about recognizing and amplifying the “knowledge, moral authority, and wisdom” of Indigenous communities whose lands and lives are threatened daily by deforestation and exploitation.

The concert precedes COP30 in Belém, a city in the Amazon basin. As leaders gather to debate the planet’s climate future, the Amazon remains a big talking point, both as a crucial carbon store and as a fragile ecosystem under attack. By holding the concert in Brazil, Massive Attack and Cavalera underline the urgency of the Indigenous people’s demands.

Music has long been a vehicle for protest, and this collaboration aims to show its power. Massive Attack’s trip-hop sound offers a reflective atmosphere, while Cavalera’s aggression provides raw resistance. Together, they bridge genres, audiences, and continents, reinforcing the message that climate justice is universal.

Tickets for ‘The Answer Is Us’ are available now through the official Espaço Unimed website and major Brazilian ticketing platforms.

According to The Guardian, over half of the 500 protesters arrested in Central London were above 60 years old as thousands gathered in a demonstration organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries. The arrests were made due to the widespread support of Palestine Action – an organisation that has recently been proscribed as a terrorist group in the UK.

Robert del Naja – who has been vocal in his support of Palestine and activism for decades – took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the arrests, claiming: “UK civil liberties are trapped in a deeply cynical, manufactured crisis.”

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In a post which he captioned with “This kept being taken down…”, del Naja attacked the UK government aswell as the actions of the police last weekend: “The ultimate truth though is that this is not really about silent, crouched citizens surrounded by packs of 10 burly British police men & women & thrown in caged vans, nor the politicians with the masks of corporate lobbying & genocide complicity torn from their faces.

“It’s about trying to fill with distractions the vast & expanding gulf between the horror of the British public – of more than 2 years of the citizens of Gaza, burning alive in tents, being shot dead in food queues, or dropping dead where they stand from starvation – and the duplicitous, arrogant & cowardly complicity of their government.”

Massive Attack recently joined forces with the likes of Brian Eno, Fontaines DC and Kneecap to create a new alliance aimed at supporting musicians speaking out about Gaza. The trip-hop pioneers spoke to The Guardian about why this alliance is needed, saying: “This is about solidarity with artists being crushed under legal threats – while witnessing genocide unfold in real-time on their screens.”

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Del Naja ended his recent Instagram post by calling out the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, for her role in proscribing Palestine Action, saying: “On Saturday, 521 distressed citizens peacefully & reluctantly wasted police time; because wasting police time is now the official policy of Yvette Cooper; a Home Secretary who views your civil liberties as a useful political device.

“Those 521 people are willing to pay with their liberty for the vindictive shame of those they elected to power. I hope none of us repeat that mistake at future elections.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently spoke out about the wave of young people and artists showing support for Palestine, where he claimed he welcomed the sympathetic attitude towards Palestine, but is against “incitement to violence”.

He told NME: “Kneecap shouldn’t be performing at Glastonbury, and I don’t support inciting to violence as free speech… There’s a huge difference between speaking out about what’s happening in parts of the world. All of us are concerned by what we’re seeing in Gaza.”

Speaking at the same event, Starmer confirmed his support of the proposed £1 ticket levy, which is aimed at supporting the UK grassroots music scene, where he said “venues need not just to survive, but to thrive.” Check out the mxdwn.co.uk coverage of the PM’s interview with NME here.

Massive Attack told The Guardian that the new initiative was sparked by the increasing fear artists are facing when expressing pro-Palestine views. “This is about solidarity with artists being crushed under legal threats—while witnessing genocide unfold in real-time on their screens,” the band said.

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As the global music scene continues to wrestle with how and when to speak on political issues, Massive Attack and their allies have made their position loud and clear: art is not apolitical, and silence is not an option. The group called out organisations such as the UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) for their “aggressive campaigns”. The UKLFI are the group who were responsible for reporting punk duo, Bob Vylan, to the police after their Glastonbury performance this year. Massive Attack have already received massive support on their recent Instagram post:

 

 

 

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Massive Attack and the other artists involved have demanded a permanent ceasefire, unrestricted access for aid organisations and for all UK arms licences with Israel to be cancelled.

This alliance marks a significant moment in the music industry—publicly uniting prominent and emerging artists to challenge legal and institutional attempts to silence political expression, specifically around Gaza.

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In a joint statement posted across social media, the artists say they’ve “watched in horror” as Gaza has become “a slaughterhouse”—and they’re done staying silent. What’s more, they’re calling out what they describe as a rising wave of intimidation within the music industry.

“We write as artists who’ve been threatened into silence or career cancellation,” the statement reads. “We won’t stand by as voices are silenced under the weight of legal threats, cancelled bookings, or police investigations.”

Massive Attack are one of many artists who are speaking out against atrocities in Gaza, risking career opportunities, read more about those speaking out, here.

Tickets to future Massive Attack shows are available for purchase here.

The group were performing at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena when Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli troops last year, appeared on screen during a montage featuring other world leaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

This lead to Hen Mazzig, an Israeli writer and influencer, taking to social media where he directly called out the trip-hop veterans and accused them of “celebrating” the former Hamas leader.

Mazzig shared an 11-second clip from the live show and captioned it with: “Why is the self proclaimed ‘pro peace’ band @MassiveAttackUK screening footage of Yahya Sinwar during their concert? Sinwar masterminded the slaughter of innocents at a music festival, yet they’re celebrating him at a similar event.

“If you’re booking the UK’s largest arena, you should care a lot more about the message you’re spreading. Encouraging 23,000+ people to sympathise with Hamas is more than irresponsible – it’s incitement.”

As expected Massive Attack did not take this claim lightly and responded within hours, warning Mazzig to delete the post or risk legal action: “@hearnimator must delete the original post & issue an apology or further action will follow.”

The post has since been deleted.

For obvious, ethical reasons relating to its owner, Massive Attack do not use ‘X’. However, no email contact is presented for the author of this post, which we consider defamatory, & has been passed to the band’s lawyers. @hearnimator must delete the original post & issue an… https://t.co/1TlKO3TBou

— Massive Attack (@MassiveAttackUK) June 9, 2025

The Bristol band did not stop there though. As a group known for their activism and especially their support for Palestine – they have boycotted performing in Israel since 1999 – Robert Del Naja and co issued a further statement, calling out their critics for “deliberate context removal”.

The statement explained in detail what was intended by the footage being played at their Manchester show, saying: “In the specific case of the film loop that includes reportage of Yahya Sinwar, the entire sequence interplays with scenes from Jean Cocteau’s film Orpheus, creating both a placement and implicit tone of horrified lament; that an individual of power can take people down to hell.”

They continued: “It would be bizarre (and perhaps revealing) that any observer of the live show films would solely home in on the Sinwar/IDF footage and completely overlook all other controversial figures feature in the reportage loops.

“Would ‘x’ observer suggest we sought to glorify Vladimir Putin, who appears in four loops? Or Donald Trump who appears in several? Or J Edgar Hoover? Or indeed the IDF soldiers who feature in the exact same location reportage as the Yahya Sinwar footage cited by various social media accounts?”

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Massive Attack are not the first group to be ‘targeted’ for showing their support for Palestine. Irish rap trio Kneecap and their controversies have been extensively talked about since they called for a “Free Palestine” at Coachella.

The Bristol group ended their statement with a message relating to Kneecap’s recent ordeals, saying: “In a highly charged atmosphere, public figures including artists who consistently speak out against Israeli war crimes, apartheid and human rights abuses, and in defence of the Palestinian people are subjected to determined and spurious attempts to discredit us, as a deterrent to us from speaking out.

“These spurious attempts will always fail.”

Even before taking to stage in Manchester, the show was already marred in controversy. The recent sponsoring of the venue by Barclays led to Massive Attack almost cancelling the gig, check out mxdwn coverage of what transpired here.

The band – known for their strong activism – posted on Instagram just hours before going on stage, lamenting the sponsorship by claiming that it contradicts Co-op Live and Manchester’s progressive views.

Just last month it was announced that Barclays became a Founding Partner of Co-op Live – many weeks after Massive Attack had already agreed to play the venue.

Posting on Instagram, the trip-hop duo said: “15 days ago, without any advance warning or notification, the arena ownership announced a new corporate sponsorship with Barclays: a commercial identity synonymous with the large-scale financing of new fossil fuel extraction, and billions of dollars of investments in arms companies that supply Israel in its genocidal onslaught of Gaza.”

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Massive Attack have been known for their strong environmental views, as well as their committed support of Palestine. The band have boycotted performing in Israel since 1999, and just last year hosted the largest-scale ‘decarbonised’ gig in UK history.

Continuing in their criticism of Co-op Live, they said: “At a time when the world works to tackle climate emergency, and watched on in despair and horror at the scenes of civilian slaughter in Gaza, we’re stunned that the arena ownership took this decision to partner with Barclays – especially in a progressive city like Manchester.”

Barclays presence in sponsoring cultural and sporting events has come under intense scrutiny recently. Last year, it was confirmed that 125 artists – including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls and Wunderhorse – dropped out of specific festivals that the bank was working with. This led to Barclays dropping their sponsorship for Latitude, Download and Isle of Wight festivals.

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As Massive Attack said in their Instagram post: “”We believe Barclays has no place in any of our cultural or sporting arenas and only learned (with disbelief) of the arena partnership via a local media story.”

Despite what transpired, the trip-hop icons were determined for the show to go on. They confirmed they had reached an agreement with the venue, stating: “As a band, we do not want to disappoint fans who have spent their hard-earned money on tickets and are looking forward to the show.

“Co-op Live ownership have agreed to our insistence that all physical and digital Barclays livery and logos be completely removed from both the arena itself and our show page on the arena website, and that no show tickets – for sale or complimentary – will be given to Barclays.”

They signed off the message with: “See you tonight Manchester, In love and rage, MASSIVE ATTACK”.

Massive Attack’s next gig comes tonight (June 6) at the LIDO Festival. They will continue their work with ‘ACT 1.5’ in an effort to decarbonise live music events. It will mark the band’s first festival performance in nine years and will be a “100% battery powered” event.