The Great Escape has withdrawn the Faroe Islands as its lead country partner over concerns over its whaling practices, amid outcry from local interest groups.
The festival, held in Brighton and Hove each May, made the announcement this evening (September 24) in a statement on Instagram after concerns were raised over whaling in the Faroes – part of the Kingdom of Denmark – by local groups. The festival announced the Faroe Islands as its lead country partner earlier this month.
In the statement, the festival says it’s “proud” to have worked with Faroese artists over the years, adding, “Faroese musicians have been an inspiring and integral part of our festival, and we remain dedicated to supporting these incredible artists as they continue to captivate audiences worldwide.”
It goes on to say that concerns regarding whaling practices in the Faroes had been raised by local interest groups, including the Sussex Dolphin Project, and clarifies that these issues are separate from the “thriving music scene“ there. It continues, “We believe the contributions of Faroese artists should not be overshadowed by this matter, which bears no relation to their artistic work or their significant achievements.”
It explains, however, that it’s made the decision to withdraw the Faroe Islands as its lead country partner for the festival, to allow it to “address the concerns raised while staying focused on creating an inclusive festival environment that welcomes diverse perspectives.”
However, the change won’t affect the festival’s support for Faroese musicians, and The Great Escape intends to continue collaborating with them and giving them a platform. The statement concludes, “The Faroe Islands’ music scene is vibrant, and we are committed to showcasing and celebrating its artists in upcoming editions of The Great Escape and other opportunities.”
‼️WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT‼️
We were utterly shocked to see the Faroe Islands 🇫🇴 announced as lead country partner for The Great Escape Festival @thegreatescape #Brighton last week.
The Faroe Islands are infamous for their cetacean drive hunts, known as the#grindadráp #Grind.
— Sussex Dolphin Project 🐬 (@SussexDolphin) September 23, 2024
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Whaling in the Faroe Islands has raised controversy previously. In 1989, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society commissioned a public information film voiced by Anthony Hopkins to raise awareness of the subject, while the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been campaigning against whaling in the Faroes since the 1980s.
Meanwhile, The Great Escape was criticised by some artists and fans earlier this year due to Barclays sponsoring the festival. Barclays has been accused of investing in companies that supply arms to Israel, and as a result over 125 artists pulled out of the festival, including Soft Play, Picture Parlour, and Alfie Templeman.
Others, like Big Special, played but donated their fee to a Palestinian charity, while Kneecap played but have consistently expressed their support for Palestine. Member Móglai Bap told NME in June, “If your income depends on this life and you’re a touring band, then everything’s connected to one of these companies in some way. Ideally, if we had the money, we’d just boycott everything and sit in the house and tweet all day.”