Pro-Palestine solidarity takes centre stage at Glastonbury Festival

English singer-songwriter and musician Damon Albarn surprised attendees at the annual Glastonbury Festival over the weekend by commenting on Israel's war in Gaza and the US elections while on stage. Addressing the crowd, the former Blur frontman and co-creator of virtual band Gorillaz asked whether they were pro-Palestine and whether they felt it was an unfair war. He was met with a loud cheer of approval. Albard had been invited to perform by Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman as they played on the Other Stage on Friday. He was also not the only performer who used the stage to make a statement. During her headlining set, Dua Lipa performed in front of the Palestinian flag -seemingly to get it in a camera shot. The British superstar is no stranger to voicing her support for the Palestinian cause, having voiced her support well before she joined calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinian singer Elyanna joined Coldplay on the Pyramid stage as part of their headlining performance on Saturday. She joined lead singer Chris Martin and Afrobeats legend Femi Kuti to sing an Arabic-language section in the Coldplay hit 'Arabesque' backed by a dizzying mix of brass and guitars. The song itself was inspired by Chris Martin's 2017 visit to Palestine where he met the oud group Le Trio Joubran. While Martin did not mention Gaza, many welcomed his inclusion of a Palestinian singer in Coldplay's set.