Refused, the iconic punk band, recently considered the possibility of boycotting several upcoming music festivals after discovering that one of the financial backers was involved in Israeli Cyber Security investments amidst the ongoing and complex conflict between Israel and Palestine. However, instead of taking immediate action, they engaged in meaningful discussions to explore how best to express their solidarity with Palestine, especially in light of alarming reports from Al Jazeera detailing the dire conditions faced by citizens suffering due to Israel’s blockade on aid.

The veteran rockers have announced a farewell tour this year, which includes various performances at prestigious music festivals around the globe, connecting with fans while advocating for social justice.

Upon learning that a major festival was backed by a financial investor whose views clashed with their own, the band initially felt compelled to withdraw from the event. Their gut reaction was to sever ties with an unnamed festival once they discovered its connections to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

In reaching out to the festival organizers to voice their concerns, the band encountered discussions about the broader implications of their involvement, including the complicated relationships with other entities connected to the festival.

This situation sparked a multi-faceted conversation regarding the best course of action, the potential impact of a boycott, and how they could effectively demonstrate their support for the Palestinians who have inspired their decision-making process.

Insights from Refused Regarding Their Decision to Not Boycott Festivals

Rather than impulsively acting on their initial desire to boycott specific festivals due to concerns about problematic financial backers, Refused chose to engage with the festival organizers. This led to a more comprehensive discussion about addressing their shared concerns and finding a path forward.

The band provided a thorough account on social media of the discussions that transpired, which can be summarized as follows:

A week ago, we learned that some of the festivals we’re scheduled to perform at this summer are financially supported by an entertainment conglomerate named Superstruct, which includes a problematic stakeholder, KKR. KKR has direct investments in Israeli Cyber Security and other controversial sectors. Our initial instinct was to boycott these festivals. We communicated this sentiment to the organizers, who responded by expressing their alignment with our values. They conveyed their pride in the festivals they’ve created and assured us that the majority of their audience would sympathize with our position, highlighting their disappointment that companies like KKR had infiltrated their organization.

One organizer raised a valid point regarding our other affiliations, noting that Live Nation is behind some of the festivals and shows we’re involved in, with connections to Blackrock, a multinational firm heavily invested in weapons manufacturing. Additionally, our music is accessible on Spotify, a platform that has financially supported controversial political actions, including donations to Donald Trump‘s inauguration and investments in military AI. Essentially, they represent the worst aspects of capitalism.

These festival organizers also encouraged us to use our platform to raise awareness for the Palestinian cause, with one even offering a significant donation to pro-Palestinian organizations.

This dilemma forced us to contemplate the implications of boycotting these festivals. While it might provide a sense of moral superiority and protect our band’s legacy from association with these companies, we realized it would not contribute to tangible change; being morally superior doesn’t feed starving Palestinians. Moreover, our absence would not garner much media attention; while we have a dedicated following, we are not the headline act. A few Swedish leftists skipping festivals would likely go unnoticed.

After careful consideration, we recognized that while there is a compelling argument for opposing KKR and the troubling trend of private equity and hedge funds infiltrating the arts, we would be naive to think our boycott would make an impact. In fact, if entities like KKR were aware of our discussions on stage, they would likely prefer we stayed home. With the tragic loss of Palestinian lives piling up in Gaza, a region that has become a concentration camp of misery, we resolved to amplify our voices, connect with our audience, and fundraise for the Palestinian cause during our summer tour.

To us, this is the right course of action—to stand against Zionism, fascism, and exploitative venture capitalists, while igniting passion for social justice alongside our informed comrades across Europe.

Many of you have already purchased tickets and anticipate our performances, so we invite suggestions from local organizations and activists we can collaborate with in each city we visit.

FREE PALESTINE!!!

Further Reflections from Refused on Their Discussions

The band continued their dialogue in the comments of their social media post.

“These kinds of discussions are not new for us. In our late teens, emerging from the DIY underground, we were fervently committed to ending systemic oppression through the power of boycotts and raising awareness about human rights abuses tied to consumer products, the environmental costs of meat consumption, and the horrific actions perpetrated by the USA in South America to ensure cheap fruit,” they shared.

“These issues were hot topics within the leftist punk underground at that time. However, upon reflection, we realize that our belief in creating leftist utopias outside of mainstream society was misguided. Instead, we inadvertently allowed neo-Nazis—whom we once fought in the streets [Antifa did the lion’s share of the fighting, but once or twice we fought them as a band, though most of the time we were too outnumbered and out-menaced to do shit]—to seize power while we distanced ourselves from the political process, a situation that has unfolded tragically in the current political climate across the West,” Refused added.

They continued, “It took us a while to understand what many grasped during their university studies: that all of us in the West share complicity in the exploitation and oppression of vast populations in the non-Western world. While we worked hard to eliminate this complicity by becoming conscious consumers, we gradually recognized the immense machinery of oppression that Europe and the USA have perpetuated since the 1500s. This realization made our consumer choices in northern Sweden seem trivial in the grand scheme of things.”

The group went on to say, “This awareness didn’t deter us; however, it did provide a reality check. We quickly realized we were always destined to be a gateway band. The underground community is vibrant, but after witnessing countless bands preach about the evils of capitalism or organized religion to an audience of like-minded individuals wearing identical clothing, reading the same literature, and listening to the same music, you start to question the purpose: do we seek to be right, or do we strive for real change? Refused has always been distinct from pure DIY bands, doing things they could not do. Our mission was to bring these critical ideas into the public domain.”

READ MORE: Bands Who Broke Up + Ones Who Reunited in 2024

“The center-right government of Sweden once honored us with an award (thank you @psl), and despite our deep disdain for them, we accepted it to stand in the corridors of power and openly ridicule and humiliate them to their faces,” they recalled.

“While we made minor compromises, we managed to reach a demographic that would never have engaged with these ideas otherwise: we inspired numerous individuals to adopt vegetarianism and veganism through our music, and countless fans have approached us to say that our songs sparked the initial interest that led to their radical political awakening. We take immense pride in the fact that many of these individuals have become activists, educators, human rights lawyers, doctors, and environmentalists who view us as companions or stepping stones on their journeys toward serving the greater good. They didn’t just preach to the already converted; they actively engaged with the world and made a difference,” the band continued.

In closing, they reflected, “We want to emphasize that these decisions are not simple for us; we take them with the utmost seriousness, and we’ve driven ourselves to madness trying to achieve perfection in a fundamentally flawed system. This is why our next project will be a DIY endeavor—more details on that to come.”

Refused’s Farewell Tour and Future Plans

As previously stated, Refused is currently in the midst of their highly anticipated farewell tour.

The band commenced their North American leg earlier this spring and will resume their tour on June 13 at the Nova Rock festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria, with additional European dates scheduled through August 22 in Vilar De Mouros, Portugal.

Following their summer tour, they will embark on more dates in the U.K. and Europe in October, currently set to conclude on October 12 in Munchen, Germany.

For a complete list of Refused’s 2025 tour dates and ticketing information, please visit their official website.