Azealia Banks Cancels U.K. Festival Gigs Over Pro-Palestinian Pressure

London, U.K. — Rapper Azealia Banks confirmed on Wednesday she has canceled her performances at two upcoming U.K. festivals. The decision comes after she claimed promoters pressured her to make pro-Palestinian statements on stage.

In a post on social media platform X, Banks announced her withdrawal from the Maiden Voyage Festival in London and the Boomtown Festival in Hampshire. She stated the promoters had been stressing her out for weeks, allegedly threatening to remove her from the lineup unless she complied.

“So guys, I am cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage,” Banks wrote. “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.”

Banks accused the festivals of trying to extort her, saying, “They’re both basically trying to extort me by insinuating that I need to say I support Palestine or they will drop me.” She expressed her frustration, saying she would prefer to withdraw from the festivals than comply with their demands.

In a follow-up post, Banks further clarified her stance. She mentioned that she felt worn out by the political implications surrounding her performances. “This Palestine s— is boring and exhausting,” she said. “I REALLY don’t give a f— anymore.”

Boomtown Festival responded to Banks’ allegations, confirming her withdrawal but denying that it ever pressured her to make any statements. “For clarity, Boomtown does not and will never dictate the personal views and beliefs of performers,” a spokesperson stated.

Maiden Voyage Festival also acknowledged Banks’ cancellation, but they have not issued a response regarding the pressure claims. They announced they would provide updates on a replacement performer soon.