Lana Del Rey Cancels Israel Performance to “Treat Fans Equally”
Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty
Lana Del Rey’s road to Israel has been rocky, to say the least, and it’s becoming more troublesome by the day.
As we previously reported, Del Rey’s original performance at Meteor Festival in the country—her first ever in the area—was met with a barrage of criticism from groups such as the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). Despite originally responding to criticisms by noting that the show is “not a political statement,” the songstress has since postponed her performance.
Del Rey released a statement via Twitter Friday announcing the cancellation of her performance. In the tweet, she notes that despite wanting to play in both Israel and Palestine while she is in the region, she has not been able to schedule a visit to both—and thus, for the sake of treating all her fans “equally,” she has chosen to cancel the Meteor Festival performance.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) August 31, 2018
A representative for the festival responded to the news of her cancellation, telling Pitchfork, “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.” The statement then continues, assuring readers that the festival will still be a success without Del Rey’s help.
PACBI also responded to the cancellation, thanking Del Rey for making the “principled decision.”
Thank you @LanaDelRey for your principled decision to withdraw from Israel’s Meteor Festival.
Palestinians hope to hear you play when Israel’s occupation and apartheid end.
We urge all participating artists in the festival to respect our nonviolent picket line. https://t.co/8T4iMunqhd
— PACBI (@PACBI) August 31, 2018