Adelaide festival says it won’t pull Sama’ Abdulhadi from bill following calls from pro-Israel campaign

An Adelaide festival has said that it will not pull Palestinian DJ Sama’ Abdulhadi from its 2026 line-up following calls from a pro-Israel campaign group.

According to Deepcut News, mass email platform Activism Mailer sent two emails – reportedly seen by the publication – directed to WOMADelaide organisers and councillors for the City of Adelaide.

The email reportedly called for the Palestinian DJ to be “urgently removed” from the bill of its March event, claiming that she has a “documented history of hateful rhetoric against Israel, Jews, Zionists, and their allies”.

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Despite apparent calls for her removal, Resident Advisor reports that WOMADelaide has no intention of pulling Abdulhadi from the bill, with a spokesperson noting: “There are no changes to the WOMADelaide schedule”.

“We look forward to Sama' Abdulhadi's performance," they told RA. "WOMADelaide is a festival that celebrates cultural diversity, artistic excellence and the power of music to connect people across borders and beliefs.”

They added that “artists are invited to perform on the basis of their musical achievements and contributions to global contemporary culture, not for their political views or affiliations."

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Deepcut News also noted a Facebook post shared in the group Aussie Christians United With Israel, reading: “Help us to get her visa cancelled and keep more hate from entering,” encouraging people to sign a letter.

WOMADelaide will go ahead, with Abdulhadi on the bill, from March 6 - 9, welcoming over 100,000 people across three days. The line-up also includes Crazy P, Jyoty, Megatronic and more.

Sama’ Abdulhadi has not commented on Activism Mailer's campaign at time of publishing.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X