Greta Thunberg joins Sam Fender at Syd For Solen, uniting music and activism in a call to “Free Palestine.”
Sam Fender closed his headline set at Copenhagen’s Syd For Solen festival on Friday, 8 August by inviting Greta Thunberg and a group of activists onstage, leading the crowd in a call to “Free Palestine.”
The moment took place during the finale of Hypersonic Missiles, with Thunberg leading chants as they echoed across Valbyparken. Footage from the event quickly spread online, marking a striking end to the performance.
Released in 2019, Fender’s track Hypersonic Missiles, grapples with global unrest and public disengagement, including lyrics about children in Gaza being bombed – “I am so blissfully unaware of everything/ Kids in Gaza are bombed and I’m just out of it.”
Performed alongside Thunberg and her accompanying group of activists, the song’s broad political lens sharpened into an unambiguous statement of solidarity with Palestine.
The move echoed moments from Fender’s recent shows, where he has spoken openly about the conflict. In June, he paused a London Stadium performance to tell an audience of 70,000 that “it breaks my heart” and urged support for humanitarian relief.
His festival appearance on Friday extended this advocacy effort, reinforcing his willingness to use high-profile performances for political statements.
Thunberg’s presence reflected her own commitment to connecting movements for justice.
Over the past year, she has addressed rallies and public forums linking climate action with human rights, including repeated expressions of solidarity with Palestinians.
Her presence at Syd For Solen carried those calls into a live music setting, where the energy of the crowd gave the message a renewed force.
Syd For Solen, meaning “South of the Sun,” is held annually in Copenhagen’s Valbyparken and draws a diverse lineup of international and local artists.
Fender’s decision to bring Thunberg onstage adds to the growing chorus of musicians urging audiences to confront the realities of the war in Palestine.
