Palestine: Celebs Rumors

Picture Parlour are the latest band to announce that they are boycotting The Great Escape this year, joining over 100 other acts that have done so.The band took to their official X/Twitter account to share that they will no longer be performing at the Brighton-based festival. “Hey guys, we have made the decision to pull out of this year’s Great Escape festival,” they began.“We will be putting on a show next month and all ticket & merch sales will be donated to charities for Palestinian relief.

Jerry Seinfeld‘s Saturday night comedy show in Norfolk, Virginia was interrupted several times by at least one Pro-Palestinian protester.

EXCLUSIVE:  Watermelon Pictures has acquired North American distribution rights for Palestinian director Mohamed Jabaly’s documentary Life Is Beautiful about his experiences after he became stranded in Norway in 2014 when Gaza’s borders were shut indefinitely.

Kim Kardashian is stepping out to support her son.

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s  Four Daughters and Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s drama Goodbye Julia topped the prizes at the 8th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which were announced on the fringes of the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday.

Eurovision‘s Israel team have accused its competitors of “an unprecedented display of hatred”.This year’s competition was dogged by controversy, including criticism towards the EBU’s decision to include Israel amongst their role in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 20-year-old Eden Golan, this year’s entry, faced boos during her performance at the finale.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia leads this year’s Arab cinema contingent at Cannes with pioneering director Tawfik Alzaidi’s “Norah” launching internationally from Un Certain Regard plus a clutch of films in other sections by directors from Egypt, Palestine and Morocco. They collectively reflect both the vibrancy and the many hurdles that filmmakers face in the region.

Soft Play – FKA Slaves – have dropped out of the Great Escape Festival in solidarity with Palestine.The 2024 edition of the event – which showcases new and rising artists – is currently being held across various music venues in Brighton until Saturday (May 18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel with over 35,000 Palestinians killed since the October 7 attacks. Over 100 acts have now dropped out of this year’s event with Soft Play, who were due to perform at The Paris House on Saturday, becoming the latest.Posting on Instagram, they wrote: “We will not be playing at the great escape this weekend.

The Great Escape Festival 2024 line-up have pulled out of the festival with over 125 artists joining the boycott, a number of the acts have spoken to NME about their decision and showing solidarity with Palestine.The Great Escape kicked off last night (May 15), but every artist booked to play the opening party canceled their appearance at the festival, alongside more than 100 others including Picture Parlour, Miso Extra and Alfie Templeman – while Big Special will be playing but donating their fee from the festival to the Palestine Child Relief fund.Festival sponsors Barclays are accused of investing in a number of companies that supply arms to Israel, with over 35,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the historic conflict escalated last year, with Hamas committing the October 7 attacks. The bank also sponsors a number of other festivals, including Latitude, Download and Isle Of Wight.We've pulled out of this year's @thegreatescape due to their ongoing partnership with Barclays- who have, and still are, investing billions in arms companies involved in the genocide on Palestinians.

Big Special have shared a statement explaining why they have decided to play The Great Escape amidst the boycott.The gothic Black Country duo – comprised of Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – took to their official Instagram account to explain why they will go ahead with performing at this year’s edition of the Brighton-based music festival.The 2024 event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from today (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.“We will still be performing at The great escape this week and donating our fee to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, of which our label will also match the donation. Here is our statement,” wrote the duo in an Instagram post.A post shared by BIG SPECIAL (@bigspecial_)“There’s been a lot of chat about The Great Escape festival recently and their sponsorship from Barclays, who are helping fund arms sales to Israel, weapons being used to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people.“A lot of bands have boycotted the event in solidarity.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed Swedish screenwriter, series creator and showrunner Lisa Ambjörn (Young Royals) for representation in all areas.

Lizzo has spoken out and shared her support for Palestine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and college protesters.The musician took to Instagram yesterday (May 13) to show her support in a video addressing the various conflicts taking place.“I just want to take a second and give a personal thank you to all of the activists who have been working tirelessly to help the liberation and the freedom of the people who have been genocided all over the world, specifically Palestine, Sudan and the Congo,” she said.“As someone who has worked closely with activists, I know the toll it can take on your mental and your physical and it can feel thankless so if you have not heard it today, thank you. Your work is not in vain.

Eurovision this year “until the last second”.This year’s song contest has seen multiple controversies arise in the build up to the finale, which aired last Saturday (May 11).On top of the shock disqualification of Dutch entry Joost Klein, Eurovision organisers the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) had faced significant criticism for the inclusion of Israel amidst the Israel-Palestine crisis.Additionally, there were reports of a “crisis meeting” between four countries and the EBU just hours before the finale was due to begin. These four countries were later revealed to be the United Kingdom, Portgual, Ireland, and the eventual winner of this year, Switzerland.Now, Norway’s entry Gåte have spoken to Norwegian media about their own threat to pull out.

Great Escape Festival in solidarity with Palestine, with Massive Attack also speaking out in support of the boycott.The 2024 edition of the event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from tomorrow (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.The issue was first highlighted in a petition started by the promoter How To Catch A Pig and the band The Menstrual Cramps – which has since been signed by musicians including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Alfie Templeman, Lip Critic, Wunderhorse and Mary In The Junkyard.Last month, Cherym pulled out of The Great Escape as a result of the festival’s connection to Barclays, before record labels Alcopop and Big Scary Monsters joined the boycott and withdrew from the event.Dozens more acts soon followed suit, with over half the line-up demanding that The Great Escape drop its sponsorship deal with Barclays.Speaking about their decision not to play the festival, Lambrini Girls said: “We will not be appearing at The Great Escape festival this year. This is a targeted approach of a cultural boycott, considering Barclays sponsorship.“Barclays provide financial services of over £1BN pounds to companies supplying military technology and weapons to the IDF, perpetuating the horrors unfolding in Gaza.”Now, 106 artists have cancelled their scheduled appearances at The Great Escape 2024 in total – constituting approximately a quarter of the full programme.

Brian Eno, as well as members of Fontaines D.C., R.E.M, Bastille and more have read out letters from Palestinians suffering in Gaza as part of a ‘Voices For Gaza’ initiative.The clips have been shared on the Instagram page for Voices For Gaza, and sees famous faces from across the entertainment industry read letters from those in Palestine aloud, recalling the graphic details of the war.It aims to help raise funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians and bring awareness to the ongoing crisis happening in the country.At time of writing, the conflict has led to the deaths of over 34,600 Palestinians. The attacks by Hamas on October 7 last year killed over 1,200 people.Among those who have taken part in the charity initiative is Brian Eno, who reads out a letter from a civilian in Gaza, written in February 2024.

Cannes Film Festival is bracing for a tumultuous 77th edition. As wars rage in Gaza and Ukraine, attendees and organizers anticipate protests, politically charged speeches and pins and flags that signal solidarity with Palestinian civilians, Israeli hostages and Ukrainians looking for more military assistance from the West as they try to fend off the Russian invasion. But if the festival has its way, there will be none of that.

The loudest voice in Hollywood last week belonged to Haim Saban. “Bad . . . Bad . . . bad decision, on all levels,” he roared, in an email to President Joseph Biden, sent via White House aides, denouncing the Administration’s announced plan to withhold bombs and artillery shells from Israel if it proceeds against Hamas in the population centers of Rafah.

Eurovision bosses of handing a “win” to “enemies of Europe” with the decision to ban EU flags at the 2024 final.News broke earlier this year that the song contest would be banning any flags being held up other than those of the countries competing in the competition. This included the show of Palestinian flags – amid the conflict in Gaza – and EU flags.Now, speaking with Politico’s Brussels Playbook after Saturday’s finale (May 11), Schinas has described the move as “mind-blowing”, and criticised it as being ill-timed given next month’s European election and amid thousands of Georgian protesters gathering in Tbilisi in support of the democratic values the EU represents.“I cannot find the logical explanation for why the EBU is doing this.

Jerry Seinfeld for a university commencement speech in the US has sparked walkouts.The comedian and Seinfeld creator was about to speak at Duke University in North Carolina – where he was also receiving an honorary degree – when protestors with Palestinian flags were seen walking out of the stadium.Seinfeld, who is Jewish, has shown support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. At time of writing, the conflict has led to the deaths of over 34,600 Palestinians.

Ellise Shafer Jerry Seinfeld received an honorary degree at Duke University’s commencement on Sunday, but before he could begin his speech, the comedian was met with student walkouts. According to the New York Times, dozens of students left the graduation ceremony and chanted “Free, free Palestine” in protest of Seinfeld, who has been vocal about his support of Israel. Others in the crowd responded to the protesters with applause and cheers of approval for Seinfeld, who began his speech with, “Thank you.

Eurovision ratings have apparently plunged amidst several controversies and boycott calls for this year’s edition.This year, the contest has faced criticism for its inclusion of Israel due to their role in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Due to this political neutrality clause, the EBU announced they reserved the right to remove Palestinian flags and symbols, and would go on to censor Irish contestant Bambie Thug for wearing the word ‘ceasefire’ and ‘freedom for Palestine’ as a hidden message on their costume.Israel’s inclusion prompted boycott calls from the LGBT+ community towards UK entry Olly Alexander, reasoning that the competition was “providing cultural cover and endorsement for the catastrophic violence that Israel has unleashed on Palestinians.”Over 1,000 Swedish artists called for Israel to be banned this year – including Robyn, Fever Ray, and First Aid Kit – and more than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals have signed a petition to ban the country from taking part in the contest as well.

Michael Appler Ross Matthews wasn’t three words into his opening monologue at the 35th annual GLAAD Awards in New York City Saturday evening when a protester stood up from the audience to shout, “GLAAD is complicit in genocide.” The lone pro-Palestine advocate, blanketed by a wide-eyed room who let out a few jeers — “Who are you, you weirdo?” one donor shouted — was slowly, if not ceremoniously escorted from the room before she gave a final jab: “And so are all of you.” “Thank you for your free speech. I’m so glad you have freedom,” Matthews, the evening’s host, said from the stage in an awkward attempt to recognize the protester. “Well, that was uncomfy for all of us, but we have to fight for everyone’s rights.

Eurovision entry Iolanda’s video was reportedly replaced with previous footage due to “pro-Palestine motifs” on her nails.Last night’s contest saw Swiss entry Nemo crowned as its first nonbinary winner in a year marked with controversy due to the EBU’s struggle to enforce its political neutrality clause. This was especially notable in the inclusion of Israel this year, due to their role in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Duke University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday saw dozens walk out in protest of guest speaker Jerry Seinfield, who has been a big supporter of Israel during the conflict in Gaza.

Rob Rinder launches a fun new travel show, Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour, tonight but the lighthearted programme couldn't be further away from the trauma the star has been experiencing in recent months.TV star Rob, 45, will be joined by pal Rylan Clark to follow in the footsteps of romantic poet Lord Byron in the BBC Two series as they take a cultural tour of Venice, Florence and Rome, with plenty of laughs along the way. But Rob's recent TV appearances have been much more sobering as he has spoken out about the fear that he and his loved ones have been feeling over the conflict in Gaza and attitudes about it in the UK.

Olly Alexander, Britain's Eurovision Song Contest entrant for this year, has shared his thoughts following the nightmarish event in Sweden.

BBC's Eurovision viewership plummeted as a global boycott impacted figures for its broadcast of the Song Contest this year with a significant drop in viewers.The grand finale on Saturday night was snubbed by millions, following a widespread boycott, leading to the BBC witnessing a loss of nearly two million viewers from last year's numbers.The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is a Palestinian-led campaign advocating for various forms of protest against Israel, called for a boycott of this year's contest.This action came after the decision by the Eurovision Broadcasting Union to allow Israel to participate despite its conflict with Palestine, while Russia was excluded from the competition in 2022 due to its military actions in Ukraine.The boycott seems to have made a dent, with a noticeable dip in the viewership compared to previous years. On Sunday, TV critic and podcast host Scott Bryan tweeted: "Eurovision was watched by 7.6 million last night, down from 9.9 million - a 23% fall.

Bambie Thug has spoken out against the EBU during post-Eurovision interviews, claiming that they don’t fully represent “what Eurovision is”.The self-described ‘ouija-pop’ artist came sixth in the annual contest, which was won by Switzerland representative Nemo. At the end of their performance, they proclaimed “Love will triumph over hate!”The Cork singer has also faced significant challenges throughout the competition due to their pro-Palestinian stance. It was revealed they were forced to remove the words ‘ceasefire’ and ‘freedom for Palestine’ in a medieval script from their costume due to Eurovision’s political neutrality clause.

Eurovision entrant was booed during her live performance on the show last night, while other parts of the audience reacted with cheers.The 68th Eurovision Song Contest took place last night (May 11) in Malmö, Sweden, and was won by Switzerland’s Nemo, whose song ‘The Code’ won the jury vote and came fifth in the public vote.Israel’s entry ‘Hurricane’ by Eden Golan did not score high with the jury, but received one of the highest scores in the public vote. Her performance came early in the night, and was met with a decidedly mixed reaction from the live audience.As fan footage from inside the room appears to show, there was a somewhat negative reaction from parts of the audience during Golan’s rendition of her song, with cries of “Free Palestine” being audible.

Bambie Thug has given a special message at the end of their gripping Eurovision performance – watch it below.The Irish Eurovision entry has been tipped as one of the favourites to win this year, with them ranking fourth on the bookie’s odds to win the contest.However, the Cork singer has also faced significant challenges throughout the competition due to their pro-Palestinian stance. It was revealed they were forced to remove the words ‘ceasefire’ and ‘freedom for Palestine’ in a medieval script from their costume due to Eurovision’s political neutrality clause.Though they were prevented from saying the words ‘ceasefire’, Bambie seemed to allude to the Israel-Palestine conflict at the end of their powerful performance.

Switzerland has won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, which took place Saturday evening in Malmo, Sweden.

At the end of a nail biting week of musical performances, the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 finally declared its winner on Saturday evening when Switzerland's Nemo won with their song The Code. The winning performance came after a tense week of surprising mishaps, in which controversy had dogged the 68th edition of the annual song contest for months in the run up to the live shows.

The Eurovision Song Contest has been marred by mass protests as fans were shouted at outside the venue in Sweden.

As music lovers around the world tuned into the Eurovision Song Contest’ s grand final on Saturday night, all eyes were on the 25 acts that were hoping to secure victory. Initially 26 countries had been due to compete, but following a controversial decision by the European Broadcasting Union to ban Dutch entrant Joost Klein, only 25 made it to the stage on Saturday evening.

Eurovision entry Slimane has interrupted his own rehearsal performance to give an unexpected speech about “peace”.During rehearsals today, Slimane made a surprising change to his song ‘Mon Amour’, where he replaced his a capella section with a speech about “peace”.Footage of the performance shows the French-Algerian singer saying: “When I was a child, I dreamed of music. I dreamed about this dream – to be a singer, to sing about peace.

Eurovision entrant Käärijä has announced he will not participate as the spokesperson for the Finnish jury hours before the finale is due to start.Käärijä, who was the runner-up to Eurovision last year with his song ‘Cha Cha Cha’, took to social media to announce that he was pulling out of announcing the Finnish jury’s points for tonight’s competition.On Instagram Stories, Käärijä wrote: “I have decided not to participate as the spokesperson for the Finnish jury in tonight’s Eurovision finale. Giving out the points does not feel right”.