Pulp drop Adelaide Festival boycott after apology

Pulp will perform at the Adelaide Festival, which they initially boycotted, after the festival apologised to an Australian-Palestinian writer for removing her from its line-up.

Earlier this month, the festival said it had removed Randa Abdel-Fattah from its Adelaide Writers' Week 2026 event as they said it would be "culturally insensitive to allow her to participate" but has now retracted its statement and invited Abdel-Fattah to join its 2027 line-up.

"Pulp were appalled to hear of the circumstances in which the Adelaide Festival board had cancelled the scheduled appearance of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, and respect those who immediately spoke out against this decision," the rock band said in a statement.

"We want to make it absolutely clear that Pulp refuse to condone the silencing of voices. We celebrate difference, and oppose censorship, violence and oppression in all its forms.

"Our management and representatives have been in dialogue with the festival organisers since last week, when the situation was first made public.

"Having informed them that we had decided to withdraw from the festival in support of the boycott, we were asked to delay an announcement while they sought to resolve this crisis for all sides.

"It is our understanding that the festival programmers are now acting in good faith. The festival board that made this dreadful decision have been replaced, and a full apology has been accepted by Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has been invited to appear next year.

"Given this new and welcome development we feel able, in good conscience, to honour our invitation to perform in Adelaide on February 27. We hope that our free concert will be an opportunity for different communities to come together in peace and harmony."

Abdel-Fattah said in a post on Instagram on Thursday that she had accepted the board's apology.

"I accept this apology as acknowledgement of our right to speak publicly and truthfully about the atrocities that have been committed against the Palestinian people," she said.

"I accept this apology as a vindication of our collective solidarity and mobilisation against anti-Palestinian racism, bullying and censorship."

The festival said it apologised "unreservedly" to Abdel-Fattah, after Adelaide Writers' Week director and author Adler resigned having spent two years in the role while a new board for the festival has been established.

Best known for songs such as Common People, Disco 2000 and Do You Remember The First Time?, Pulp released their first album in 24 years, More, last year.

The band also performed under the secret name Patchwork at the 2025 edition of Glastonbury Festival, 30 years after their headline performance at the festival, when they stood in for The Stone Roses after the Manchester band's guitarist John Squire was injured in a cycling accident.