Festival season is here, but does politics have a place on the stage?

Festival season is under way, and leading the charge: the Isle of Wight Festival – dubbed “Europe‘s Woodstock” – with headliners including Sting and the Stereophonics.

Former N-Sync star Justin Timberlake – a man who’s crooned about his love of “dance, dance, dance” and has recently become a meme for his mic-centric moves on stage – is a headliner too.

Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival will see headline acts including Olivia Rodrigo, the 1975, and Charli XCX.

But along with the headline stars and hot weather, politics has also found its way into the spotlight.

Youth culture and political expression have long been part of the festival experience, with Vietnam, nuclear disarmament, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine all attracting attention over the decades.

This year, with geopolitics seemingly at a boiling point, the Israel-Hamas war has had far-reaching implications. As the Israel-Iran war follows in its wake, the conflict has prompted strong opinions on both sides.

Irish-language rap trio Kneecap‘s upcoming Glastonbury Festival set has become a flashpoint for robust debate, drawing protests from those calling for their set to be cancelled, as well as those championing their right to speak out.

The root of the contention? Kneecap band member Liam O’Hanna, 27, was charged with a terror offence earlier this year, accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.

Hezbollah was proscribed in its entirety in 2019 because the government classed it as a terrorist organisation and said its attacks on Israel were “attempts to destabilise the fragile situation in the Middle East”.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he did not think Kneecap’s planned Glastonbury Festival performance was “appropriate” and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” the band’s performance at the festival next weekend.

Although “removed” from playing at Scottish music festival TRNSMT next month due to “safety concerns”, Kneecap have remained on the Glastonbury bill, prompting the question: Is the stage a place for political opinion?

‘If we think we’re separate from world events, we’re kidding ourselves’

Faithless star Sister Bliss, who performed at the first of the re-instated Isle of Wight Festivals and is performing again this year, tells Sky News: “If we think that we’re separate from world events, we’re absolutely kidding ourselves. Our lives are tied intrinsically to everybody else’s on the planet.

“You can have certain people that express that in a way that is perhaps a tad crass, but I love that lyrically – especially on our records, in songs that we’ve made over the last 30 years – I feel that you can combine the personal and political in a way that’s not tub-thumping or simplistic. These issues are very nuanced that are going on in the world right now.”

Speaking to Sky News at the Isle of Wight Festival, Clean Bandit star Grace Chatto says artists are right to use the stage to amplify their voice.

“It is such a great place for political speech, like when Jeremy Corbyn spoke at Glastonbury – it was the most attended thing of the whole event, and it just brought such a feeling of unity and hope in that field on that day”.

The 39-year-old cellist adds: “Then recently, Kneecap and Massive Attack have just been so important, I think, and amazing.”

Earlier this month, Massive Attack, who have previously been critical of Israel, included footage of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his family as part of a video montage at one of their concerts.

‘I’ve got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically’

Fresh from the Isle of Wight Main Stage, Mae Muller tells Sky News: “With what’s happening in Gaza, I know that’s been a very prominent theme with people saying, ‘Should we speak out about it or not?’ But that’s not political, it’s a human rights issue.

“It’s important for us to use our voice, because not everybody can. If we feel strongly about something, and we can stand behind it, I think [the stage is] definitely a place to do it.”

Muller, who represented the UK at last year’s Eurovision Song Competition – which became a highly politicised event despite the attempts of the organisers to keep it from the stage – continues: “Art is inherently political, and you can’t really escape it. And we shouldn’t want to escape it. It can be two things at once. [Politics] and fun can coexist.“

Meanwhile, Razorlight front-man Johnny Borrell, ahead of his Main Stage performance, tells Sky News: “Why not say what you believe in? Why does everyone get so precious?

“You can disagree with people. I’ve got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically – they think the earth is flat. I like them as people, but I completely disagree with them in politics”.

Borrell adds: “We don’t have a problem with disagreeing, but if everyone’s tapping away [mimes typing on a phone] and they’re like, ‘No, I’m really angry, I’m going to tap back,’ that’s a different thing. That’s what’s changed recently.”

A ‘disruptor’ festival, showing the world that anything is possible’

Regardless of the polarised times, Isle of Wight Festival promoter John Giddings, 72, says the Isle of Wight Festival experience should be a break from activism rather than a call to arms.

The 72-year-old, who represents artists ranging from Blondie to Phil Collins, told Sky News: “We’re purely about music and entertainment, and we are to switch off from politics for three or four days. We’re in the business of entertaining people, not preaching to people. And I don’t understand why people attempt to. That’s a different forum.”

Giddings, who relaunched the iconic festival after it was outlawed by authorities in 1970, fearing the crowds and rowdy behaviour could detract from the island, may be keen to avoid political controversy, but he’s keen to break the mould in other areas.

Following a long line of stars before him, including Bob Dylon, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, singer Emmanuel Kelly has become the first physically differently-abled artist to perform on the Isle of Wight Festival’s Main Stage.

The 31-year-old former X Factor star, who supported Coldplay on their Music Of The Spheres tour last year, says as far as accessibility is concerned, the Isle of Wight Festival is a trailblazer.

Kelly tells Sky News: “Somebody that’s different is on the stage and is able to show the world that anything’s possible.”

Echoing the festival’s early rebel roots, he credits it with being a “disruptor”, adding, “They make the extra effort to teach the others around the world to make the extra effort as well… It’s important and it’s happening and I’m excited for it.”

In response to Sir Keir’s call for Kneecap to be removed from the line up at Glastonbury next weekend, and whether the performance would be available on any BBC platforms if it goes ahead, a BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.

“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead up to the festival.”

The Isle of Wight Festival runs until Sunday 22 June, with the Glastonbury Festival kicking off on 25 June.