Lana Del Rey Cancels Israel Concert: ‘It’s Important to Treat All My Fans Equally’

Singer previously denied that her performance was a “political statement”

Lana Del Rey
Getty Images

Lana Del Rey has canceled her performance at a musical festival in Israel, citing a need to “treat all my fans equally.”

“It’s important to me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally,” she wrote in a note shared on her social media. “Unfortunately it hasn’t been possible to line up both visits with such short notice and therefore I’m postponing my appearance at the Meteor Festival.”

Del Rey was set to headline the Meteor Festival in Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan next month, news that was met with pushback from pro-Palestine groups including the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

Del Rey defended the planned appearance in a statement earlier this month, saying that she had no intention of making a political statement with the performance.

“I believe music is universal and should be used to bring us together,” she said. “Performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there just like singing here in California doesn’t mean my views are in alignment w my current governments opinions or sometimes inhuman actions.”

In a statement to Pitchfork on Friday, a spokesperson for the festival accused Del Rey of using the announcement for getting media attention.

“Just got the word that Lana will be a no-show at Meteor. We do appreciate her for choosing meteor to help her score some press attention.

“With that, Meteor will take place with the same badass mix of local and international talent that we’ve been working with this past year. The mission that we’ve all been on together is reaching the finish line in just a matter of days as planned: A pioneering, independent festival in the Upper Galilee of a magnitude and quality that has yet to be seen in the Middle East.”

https://twitter.com/LanaDelRey/status/1035574753002569734

Comments