New Delhi:
A moment during an Imagine Dragons concert in Milan on Tuesday has sparked widespread reaction online.
What
- During the show, frontman Dan Reynolds picked up a Palestinian flag that had been thrown onto the stage.
- He held it up to loud applause from the crowd and then draped it over his shoulders while continuing to perform.
- A video of the moment has been widely shared on X (formerly Twitter), drawing mixed reactions.
- The backlash stems in part from the band’s previous decision to perform in Israel before the Swords of Iron war began in October 2023.
Background
At the time, Imagine Dragons faced calls to cancel their show in Tel Aviv, but they went ahead with it. In a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, Reynolds addressed the criticism, saying, “I don’t believe in depriving our fans of seeing us just because of the actions of their leaders and governments. It’s a very slippery slope. Once you start doing that, where do you draw the line? There are corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world.”
In 2023, the American band played to a crowd of 60,000 at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, despite appeals from pro-Palestine campaigners to boycott the show over concerns about Israel’s human rights record.
Holocaust survivor and activist Dr Gabor Mate was among those who urged the group to cancel their performance. “I respectfully urge the progressive and humane-minded artists Imagine Dragons to stand by their principles and support both Palestinians and courageous Israelis by not performing in this apartheid country,” he said. The band chose to go ahead with the show and greeted the audience warmly.
During the concert, Reynolds told the crowd, “It’s not normal to have such a big crowd,” and added, “Tel Aviv, we love you.”
Drummer Daniel Platzman, who is Jewish, also performed at the show. Prior to their appearance in Israel, the band had played at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK.
Earlier that summer, singer Robbie Williams had also performed at Yarkon Park. He responded to boycott calls by expressing his support for the Jewish community, telling the crowd he was “grateful for the Jewish people” and paid tribute to his Jewish wife Ayda Field and their four children.
In A Nutshell
Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds sparked online debate after draping a Palestinian flag over his shoulders during a Milan concert. The gesture drew backlash due to the band’s earlier decision to perform in Israel in 2023 despite boycott calls. At the time, Reynolds defended the move, saying fans shouldn’t suffer for government actions.
