Numerous artists and music industry professionals have urged London’s King’s Place to terminate an upcoming arms industry conference.
Situated near King’s Cross station, King’s Place is a celebrated arts venue that features a range of highly regarded programs. By utilizing various performance spaces, initiatives like Earth Unwrapped highlight unconventional arts with a focus on social consciousness.
Recently, Gazelle Twin canceled her forthcoming show at King’s Place, referencing a “corporate event” listed in the venue’s schedule that is “sponsored by a major arms manufacturer.”
In her statement, Gazelle Twin expressed her belief that “while I respect the decision to host this conference does not lie with the King’s Place Foundation, it seems inappropriate for me to present my work in a space that ultimately benefits from the arms industry.”
Now, a collection of musicians, artists, and music professionals have signed an open letter to King’s Place, expressing their “deep shock and dismay” regarding the venue’s choice to host, for the second consecutive year, the Defence in Space conference, which is backed by Lockheed Martin.
Entitled 'Art Not Arms', the letter declares: “Lockheed Martin is the largest arms dealer in the world and is the main supplier of F-35 fighter jets to the Israeli military. These jets are then employed to kill civilians in Gaza and in brutal conflicts globally.”
“According to Amnesty International and various other sources, F-35s were involved in an Israeli assault on Al-Mawasi in July 2024 that resulted in the death of 90 Palestinians and injuries to 300.”
The open letter urges King’s Place to cancel the conference and to “reassure the artistic community that future events at King’s Place will not be funded by blood money, and that artists will not be compelled to share the stage with war profiteers.”
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Below is the full letter:
We call upon King’s Place and its commercial arm, Green & Fortune, to cancel the Lockheed Martin-sponsored arms-industry conference, Defence in Space, scheduled for October 28th and 29th, 2025.
Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest arms dealer and the principal supplier of F-35 fighter jets to the Israeli military. These jets are then utilized in the brutal killing of civilians in Gaza and in harsh conflicts worldwide.
As reported by Amnesty International and several other sources, F-35s were used in an Israeli operation on Al-Mawasi in July 2024 that led to the deaths of 90 Palestinians and injured 300.
King’s Place is a significant multi-arts venue that has become a crucial space for a varied community of artists, audience members, and partner organizations. This year, many members of this community would have participated in or performed as part of King’s Place’s Earth Unwrapped series, which aims to “bring artists together to explore our wounded planet and how we can collectively seek healing.”
Hosting a defense industry conference in the same venue, supported by a sponsor that has knowingly and profitably contributed to the deaths of numerous civilians, casts a dark shadow over this series and its objectives.
We, the undersigned performers, audience members, and professionals from the music industry, are profoundly shocked and appalled by King’s Place’s decision to host the Defence in Space conference for a second consecutive year, with sponsorship from Lockheed Martin.
We request that King’s Place and Green & Fortune:
- Cancel the conference scheduled for October 2025.
- Issue a public statement clarifying their choice to engage with the arms industry.
- Assure the artistic community that future events at King’s Place will not be funded by blood money and that artists will not be required to share a stage with war profiteers.
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Numerous artists and professionals from the music industry have urged King's Place, a performance venue in London, to cancel an imminent conference related to the arms industry.