Irish band Lankum have had a gig cancelled in Germany due to their support of Palestine, which they have been vocal about since the escalation of the war in recent weeks.
The band was due to play the TransCentury Festival in Leipzig alongside German-Brazilian musician Gloria de Oliveira last Sunday, but their performance was pulled.
Music blogger reported that the festival posted a statement announcing its decision which read: “The Lankum & Gloria De Oliveira concerts tonight will not take place.
“Lankum represents a political stance that we as a venue and festival do not represent. In consultation with the artists, we have agreed to cancel the concert.”
Since then, the festival’s Instagram has been changed to Private, and follow requests denied. The festival’s Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, profiles have not been active since 2022 and 2018 respectively.
A request for comment from organisers has not received a response. Lankum has also been contacted for comment.
The “political stance” referred to in the statement is believed to refer to the band’s support for the Palestinian people.
Following an attack by Hamas militants on October 7, in which 1,400 Israeli citizens were killed and a further more than 200 kidnapped, Israel announced a military operation on Gaza to target Hamas leaders and operations.
Since then, more than 11,000 people have reportedly been killed in Palestine and thousands have been left without food, water, or medicine.
Germany has cracked down on pro-Palestine protests saying it is to stop public disorder and prevent antisemitism. But supporters of Palestinians say they feel blocked from publicly expressing support or concern for people in the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza without risking arrest, their jobs, or immigration status.
The German government says they need to protect Jewish communities given a rise in antisemitic violence since the attacks by Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist group by the EU and several countries.
In Germany, the issue is particularly acute because of the killing of 6m European Jews in the Holocaust by the Nazis. “Our history, our responsibility for the Holocaust makes it our duty in every moment to stand for the existence and security of Israel,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
As a band, Lankum has been vocal about their support for the Palestinian people and calls for a ceasefire.
The Dublin four-piece have not posted any response to the cancellation of their performance last weekend and are continuing their largely sold-out European and UK tour. No other gigs in Germany have been affected with their final performance in the country taking place tomorrow.
They have also continued to post in support of the Palestinian people and are due to play the Gig for Gaza in the 3Arena next Tuesday, November 28.
The concert, which will also feature Damien Dempsey and Lisa O’Neill among others, was initially to be held in Vicar Street but after the venue sold out in a matter of minutes, it was moved to the much larger venue in the Point Village.
In a statement announcing the concert, Lankum said: “Like most people of sound mind and reason around the globe, we are heartbroken and shocked to see the indiscriminate murder of children and civilians happening for the past few weeks.
“This, on top of decades of oppression, persecution, and dehumanisation is something we can only struggle to comprehend. That is why we are very proud to raise our voices in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
“It’s the very, very least we can do.” The statement was signed by Cormac, Daragh, Ian and Radie.
Posting about the fundraiser today, which will support the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, Lankum wrote: “Dublin in 6 days. Tickets are selling very fast. Let’s sell this out!!”
