In the summer of 1988, music festival producer Tony Hollingsworth organized a concert at London’s Wembley Stadium to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday. He offered the BBC the rights to broadcast it live, but the network was hesitant. Mandela had been imprisoned since 1962 and was widely labeled a “terrorist.” Hollingsworth met with BBC executive Alan Yentob, who was uncertain. “Alan,” Tony said, “you’ve got to bite the bullet.” Yentob eventually agreed, saying, “I’ll give you five hours. If the lineup improves, I’ll extend the time.”
Soon after, Conservative MPs organized a parliamentary motion condemning the BBC’s decision. Opponents of Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) had good reason to worry. The concert was broadcast to a global audience of 600 million, making Mandela a household name worldwide and likely speeding up his release. Oliver Tambo, then president of the ANC, told Hollingsworth the concert was “the greatest single event we have undertaken in support of the struggle.”
The concert succeeded because, then as now, politics is shaped by culture. The stories we tell ourselves and each other shape how we feel about the world—and about other possible worlds. This gives storytellers—writers, musicians, artists, actors—immense power to influence the environment in which politicians operate.
Which brings us to Gaza.
More than any other conflict in the modern communications era, even more than South Africa in the 1980s, the Israeli occupation of Palestine has been waged with words and images as well as with weapons. Because of this, artists who oppose the occupation and advocate for justice for Palestinians have faced cynical, harmful censorship aimed at severely limiting the stories they can tell.
Examples are everywhere. Last year, supporters of Israeli policy launched a coordinated campaign to cancel Jewish filmmaker Jonathan Glazer. Actor Melissa Barrera was dropped by a Hollywood production company after she referred to “genocide” in Gaza on social media. Several artists in Germany have had exhibitions shut down for making entirely reasonable criticisms of the Israeli government. And the BBC recently refused to air a powerful documentary about Gaza’s healthcare workers, claiming it risked “the perception of partiality” (my emphasis). It was eventually broadcast to great acclaim on Channel 4.
The BBC’s recent timidity stems from a wall of fear built by supporters of Israeli government policy, intended to punish artists whose stories could shape a different culture—one with the power to transform our politics. But that fear is now fading.
Take, for example, Together for Palestine, a concert being held tonight at Wembley Arena—the large indoor venue next to the stadium that hosted Mandela’s birthday concert 37 years ago. I and others have worked for a year to make this concert happen. Even finding a venue was difficult: just mentioning the word “Palestine” almost guaranteed rejection. (I wonder what the response would have been if it were called Together for Ukraine?) But in recent months, something shifted. Wembley signed a contract, YouTube agreed to stream the event, and—most importantly—artists agreed to perform.
So tonight, Wembley will host the largest cultural event in support of Palestinian rights since the destruction of Gaza began. Around 12,000 tickets sold out in two hours. Among the performers will be Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch and many others.Artists including Brian Eno, Guy Pearce, musicians from Bastille, James Blake, PinkPantheress, and Damon Albarn, as well as Palestinian artists like Saint Levant and Elyanna, will take part. The event will be opened by Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, who was recently sanctioned by the Trump administration.
Just five years ago, or even as recently as last year, it would have been hard to imagine so many well-known global artists uniting in support of Palestine. But Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza, its deliberate starvation of the population, and the open calls for ethnic cleansing by Israeli officials have together shattered a long-standing wall of fear. I doubt the Israeli government, or even the wider Israeli public, fully grasps how much the strict control over discussions about Palestine is crumbling. In fact, for many artists, staying silent on Palestine may now pose a greater risk to their reputation than speaking out.
A key part of that fear has been the deliberate, decades-long effort to link the words “Palestine” and “terror.” The same kind of association was made in the 1980s with Nelson Mandela. Looking back, it seems unbelievable that supporters of South African apartheid were able to so effectively control the debate. But times change. What was once contested can suddenly become a matter of clear moral truth, leaving those who defended the wrong side isolated by history. In 2006, then-Conservative leader David Cameron admitted his party had been “wrong” in its approach to apartheid and praised Mandela as “one of the greatest men alive.”
Perhaps one day, future Western political leaders will offer a similar apology for their role in the brutal violence now being inflicted on Palestinian families. It will come too late for the tens of thousands of civilian victims of this war. But if such a reckoning does happen, it may be partly because actors, artists, writers, and musicians helped people see Palestinians as human beings, equally deserving of respect and protection as their Israeli neighbors.
As the Egyptian-Canadian writer Omar El Akkad puts it, one day everyone will claim they were always against this.
Brian Eno is a musician, artist, composer, and producer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Brian Eno hosting a concert for Palestine at Wembley Arena designed to sound natural and provide clear direct answers
General Beginner Questions
Q Who is Brian Eno and why is he doing this
A Brian Eno is a famous and influential musician and producer He is doing this to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian aid in Palestine and to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict
Q What is the main goal of the concert
A The primary goals are to raise a significant amount of money for humanitarian charities working in Palestine and to use music as a platform to promote a message of peace and solidarity
Q When and where is the concert happening
A It is scheduled to be held at Wembley Arena in London You would need to check the events official website for the specific date and time
Q How can I get tickets
A Tickets will be available through official ticketing partners likely linked from the concerts official website or social media pages once they are on sale
Q Is this concert just for raising money
A While fundraising is a major part its also about cultural solidarity raising awareness and bringing people together to show support through the universal language of music
Q Will the money actually get to people in need
A Yes the organizers will partner with reputable vetted humanitarian aid organizations that have proven channels to deliver aid directly and effectively in the region
Deeper Advanced Questions
Q Isnt this a political event disguised as a concert
A The concert is a humanitarian and cultural event While it is born from a political situation its stated focus is on human suffering aid and peace Many see advocating for human rights as inherently political
Q Could an event like this be seen as taking a side in the conflict
A The organizers would argue they are taking the side of civilians peace and humanitarian law However any public event concerning this conflict will inevitably be viewed through political lenses by different groups
Q Who else is performing or involved
A The lineup typically includes a range of artists who support the cause The full list of performers and speakers will be announced by the organizers closer to the event date
