Popular Israeli electronic singer and producer Noga Erez is slated to perform at the high-profile Coachella Festival next April in California. Erez appears on the poster for the festival, released on Tuesday, performing on the second day of the festival, alongside headliners Justin Bieber and other artists, including The Strokes and Alex G.
This year’s Coachella features a number of performers who stated anti-Israel views, most prominently Irish group Kneecaps, which projected messages on a screen including “F*** Israel,” “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” and “The U.S. government arms and funds Israel despite their war crimes.”
Erez is well-known outside of Israel and has performed with American star Pink during a tour of the southern US. Her third album, The Vandalist, was released in September 2024, postponed almost a year because of the events of October 7.
Late last year, Erez said in an Instagram post that she was being boycotted internationally because she’s Israeli. In the video post, she said that scheduled festival and concert dates abroad have been abruptly canceled.
“I really wish it was just one case, but the list kind of keeps growing,” Erez said. “It’s not for anything that I said, it’s simply because I was born where I was born. I believe that boycotting artists will not bring a solution. I believe that banning songs, movies, plays, books, etc., is not going to fix the world’s problems.”
Festival for Palestine done in London
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Together for Palestine, a benefit concert to raise money for Gaza relief, is slated to take place at London’s Wembley Arena. Organized by famed British musician and producer Brian Eno, the show will feature Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Portishead, and many other artists, actors, and celebrities.
“Together we can raise millions in urgently needed aid for families in Gaza,” Eno posted on Instagram, without mentioning the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. “Every penny donated will go to Palestinian partners through Choose Love, a UK charity supporting local humanitarians in conflict zones. But this is about more than just money. It’s about sending a message of love and solidarity to the people of Palestine, to let them know they haven’t been forgotten. “