IDLES frontman Joe Talbot used the band’s set at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound on Thursday (June 5) to offer full-throated support for Palestine.
The lead singer shouted “Viva Palestina!” from the stage at Barcelona’s Parc del Fòrum and led the crowd in a minuteslong chant of the Spanish phrase. At one point in between songs, Talbot asked the crowd: “Donde esta las Palestinas?” (which translates to “Where are the Palestinians?” in English). He also dedicated the group’s set to Palestine.
After kicking off with their 2018 track “Colossus,” the British post-punk outfit’s festival set also included recent singles like “Dancer,” “Grace” and “Gift Horse” from their latest U.K. No. 1 album, 2024’s Tangk, as well as earlier songs including 2018’s “Danny Nedelko,” 2019’s “Never Fight a Man with a Perm” and 2021’s “Car Crash.”
Known for their outspoken political activism, Primavera Sound is hardly the first time IDLES have used their platform to stand in solidarity for Palestinian rights amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. At their London release show for Tangk in early 2024, Talbot reportedly altered the lyrics of multiple songs, including “The Wheel” and “Danny Nedelko,” to reference Palestine.
He also dedicated Brutalism-era album cut “Mother” to the Palestinian people during the band’s appearance at Glastonbury 2024, telling the crowd at Somerset’s Worthy Farm, “This song is a celebration of all the insults that I was thrown over the years, and I tried to turn it into something beautiful. … This is for the people of Palestine and this is for you. Any scumbags in the audience?”
Earlier this year, IDLES performed a benefit concert for the Los Angeles Fire Department following the 2025 Grammys, where they were nominated for best rock album, best rock song and best rock performance.
Primavera Sound continues throughout this weekend, with headlining sets from Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli xcx. Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, who have been similarly vocal in their support for Palestine, is also on the Primavera Sound bill.
