DJ at centre of Sydney antisemitism row set to perform in UK next month
London show and Birmingham festival slot confirmed as police probe Biennale speech referencing “martyrs” and “resistance”
An American DJ under police investigation in Australia over alleged antisemitic rhetoric is set to perform in the UK next month, with appearances planned in London and Birmingham.
Zubeyda Muzeyyen, who performs as DJ Haram, is due to play at Phonox in London and at Supersonic Festival in Birmingham following controversy surrounding a speech delivered at the opening of the Sydney Biennale on 13 March.
Before her set at White Bay Power Station, Muzeyyen addressed the crowd with a monologue expressing solidarity with countries including Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. She criticised civilian deaths in conflicts involving Gaza and Lebanon and dedicated her performance to several pro-Palestinian activists.
During the speech, she said she refused to “comply with artwashing the genocide” and described it as a “duty” to oppose what she called a “Zio-Australian… empire”. The address concluded with chants of “long live the resistance”, and she also referenced “martyrs” in her remarks.
The comments prompted a complaint from the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD), which argued that such language can echo narratives linked to proscribed terrorist organisations and risk fuelling hostility towards Jewish people.
New South Wales Police have confirmed they are investigating whether the remarks breach racial hatred laws or meet the threshold for offences relating to advocating terrorism, noting that the legal bar for such cases is high.
The speech has also drawn criticism from political figures in Australia. New South Wales premier Chris Minns described the remarks as “horrid rhetoric”, though he did not support calls to withdraw public funding from the Biennale.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, criticised both the performance and its platform, saying the music itself had been overshadowed by political messaging.
“What is surprising is that the Biennale is happy to platform such lame antics,” he said. “It is no wonder donors, patrons and sponsors are deserting cultural institutions and the arts is now desperately underfunded.”
Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, said the remarks had been distressing for members of the Jewish community and warned of the broader impact on social cohesion.
“No community should feel unwelcome or targeted at publicly funded cultural events,” she said.
In response, the Biennale said it had no prior knowledge of the specific content of the speech and that it had “deviated significantly from the agreed brief”. The organisation has launched an internal review and said the views expressed were those of the artist alone.
The fallout has extended to the event’s partners, with consultancy firm PwC withdrawing its association and law firm MinterEllison requesting the removal of its branding.
Jewish News has contacted both Phonox and Supersonic Festival for comment on the planned UK performances.
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council said: “Zubeyda Muzeyyen has repeatedly engaged in rhetoric that appears to support acts of terror carried out against Israelis, alongside the repetition of some of the oldest and most dangerous antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories. This goes far beyond legitimate political criticism.
“The Jewish community in Britain knows all too well where such language can lead. There are serious questions for the venues in London and Birmingham which are hosting her. It is also open to the Home Secretary to consider whether her entry into the UK would be conducive to the public good.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been contacted for comment.
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