Multiple artists pull out of SXSW London line-up in protest of Tony Blair and David Cameron involvement

Several artists have withdrawn from this weeks South by Southwest (SXSW) London lineup in protest against the participation of Tony Blair and David Cameron.

The festivals inaugural European edition is currently underway in Shoreditch, running from June 2 to June 7. This debut event promises “six days of conference talks, music performances, industry meet-ups,” and more.

In the lead-up to the event, following pressure from artists and Palestine activist groups, the streaming platform HÖR Berlin pulled out of the lineup due to concerns that it “censors artists” who have previously shown solidarity with Palestine.

The festival also canceled a planned event featuring a senior representative from Palantir, a military software and spyware company that provides technology for Israels actions against Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

This week, the festival faced additional backlash as unannounced panelists Tony Blair and David Cameron made unexpected appearances.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair took the stage on the festivals opening day (June 2), where he reportedly discussed the “transformative impact” of artificial intelligence and its potential effects on healthcare, as reported by The Times.

Artists such as Sam Akpro, Sarra Wild, Tara Lily, LVRA, Saliah, jasmine.4.t, and Palestinian artist Ahmed Eid have all opted out of the lineup in response to the presence of Blair and Cameron. Additionally, the Leeds-based collective Rat Party canceled their entire event scheduled for today (June 3), which was set to feature Daskaran, NSFW, Jone Of Arx, and Iyesha.

“We’ve been made aware of new leaked information indicating that the festival will proceed with panel talks involving Tony Blair (a known war criminal) and David Cameron,” Rat Pack stated in a message posted yesterday (June 2).

“This is not only highly deceptive but also indicative of the types of individuals and organizations SXSW is willing to platform. As a collective, we can no longer, in good conscience, participate in this act of art washing marginalized and PoC artists, and will be boycotting,” they wrote.

Sarra Wild has since urged artists scheduled to perform at SXSW London to “withdraw and fundraise the money or host an event elsewhere,” stating: “Don’t lend your name to that if you can afford to."

In a statement posted yesterday, Sam Akpro mentioned he was pulling out of the festival due to the appearances of Blair and Cameron, as well as Kate O’Brien, who works for NATO, writing: “The UK, US & France are all NATO members and are complicit in supporting Israel’s actions against the Palestinian people.”

He added: “The CIA will also be returning to the festival. I initially accepted this gig believing SXSW had severed ties with the US army and the defense contractor RTX, which they have, but unsurprisingly, they continue to deceive.”

In response, SXSW London stated: "As one of the world’s largest festivals across tech, music, and the creative industries, SXSW London respects everyone’s views and positions and aims to create an open, diverse space for debate and discussion."

"With over 800 speakers throughout the festival, we have a wide range of global leaders from the technology and cultural sectors. Their inclusion does not signify an endorsement of any specific position or viewpoint.”

In February, SXSW London announced its first wave of speakers and revealed ticket prices for its inaugural European event, ranging from £25 to an astonishing £1,300.