According to Brooklyn Vegan, Barclays has decided to pull its sponsorship from all Live Nation festivals for the remainder of the year following widespread artist protests. This decision affects major events such as Download, Latitude, and Isle of Wight, according to a report by The Guardian.

A Live Nation spokesperson commented, “Following discussions with artists, we have agreed with Barclays that they will step back from sponsorship of our festivals.”

Barclays’ withdrawal comes after a series of high-profile artist boycotts and public pressure. The bank explained its position in a statement saying, “Barclays was asked and has agreed to suspend participation in the remaining Live Nation festivals in 2024. Barclays customers who hold tickets to these festivals are not affected and their tickets remain valid. The protesters’ agenda is to have Barclays debank defence companies which is a sector we remain committed to as an essential part of keeping this country and our allies safe.”

The protest movement, called Bands Boycott Barclays, declared the decision a win saying, “This is a victory for the Palestinian-led global BDS movement. As musicians, we were horrified that our music festivals were partnered with Barclays, who are complicit in the genocide in Gaza through investment, loans and underwriting of arms companies supplying the Israeli military. Hundreds of artists have taken action this summer to make it clear that this is morally reprehensible, and we are glad we have been heard. Our demand to Barclays is simple: divest from the genocide, or face further boycotts. Boycotting Barclays, also Europe’s primary funder of fossil fuels, is the minimum we can do to call for change.”

One of the acts leading the protest, Dying Wish, had threatened to cancel their performance at Download this weekend if Barclays remained a sponsor. Following the announcement, the band confirmed they would perform as scheduled, stating, “We never wanted to let anyone down and celebrate the news that the boycott was successful. Huge thank you to everyone who was involved in making this possible. We appreciate the understanding and support as we stand by something that truly matters to us. We are so proud to be a part of a community that can come together and create change.”

British Rock band Enter Shikari, who have been touring throughout 2024, also expressed their objections to Barclays’ involvement, and several bands who had previously withdrawn from the Download lineup, including Scowl, Zulu, Speed, and Pest Control, are now set to perform at a sold-out benefit show for Palestine in Birmingham tonight.

Despite entering a five-year deal to sponsor Live Nation festivals last year, Barclays’ suspension of sponsorship does not currently apply to the entirety of the contract, leaving future sponsorship uncertain.