Fontaines D.C. utilised their set at Primavera Sound to make a statement.
During their Saturday night set in Barcelona (June 7), the Dublin post-punk outfit closed with an unmissable display of solidarity: a giant Palestinian flag lit up the stage, followed by stark messages reading “Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide – use your voice.”
No subtlety. No ambiguity. Just blatant truth really, projected 50 feet tall.
The moment came during the band’s searing performance of “I Love You,” and continued into their final track “Starburster.” Frontman Grian Chatten echoed the sentiment onstage, urging fans to speak up. Fontaines D.C. have never been ones to sit quietly—least of all when lives are on the line.
They’ve been loud about Palestine long before it became a trending hashtag. Last year, the band dropped a collab football shirt with Bohemians FC that raised funds for Medical Aid For Palestinians, printed with the words “Saoirse don Phalaistín” (“Free Palestine” in Irish). Greta Thunberg wore one. You can too. Proceeds still go toward humanitarian relief.
They also donated a $2,000 music quiz prize to Doctors Without Borders “for Palestine,” and even pulled out of a scheduled show in Istanbul, citing solidarity with Palestinians as the reason. Their stance isn’t a PR stunt—it’s baked into their ethos.
“It becomes incredibly tiring and disenfranchising… to be talking about and raising awareness,” Chatten told NME earlier this year. “At some point, you’ve got to do something that feels a bit more tangible… Which side are you on?”
Fontaines aren’t alone in their defiance either. I mean, IDLES dedicated their own Primavera set to Gaza, leading the crowd in a “Viva Palestina!” chant. Sam Fender made waves with a pro-Palestine speech in London. Massive Attack brought Khalid Abdalla onstage to demand a ceasefire.
As global artists keep stepping up, Fontaines D.C. remind us: having a platform means having a responsibility. And on Saturday night in Barcelona, they made theirs count.
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