This Set Might Offend You

From Palestinian flags on stage to climate stunts and anti-corporate callouts—festivals are becoming unexpected battlegrounds for expression. But are they truly spaces of freedom, or just another branded environment where protest only goes as far as the sponsors allow?

This panel tackles the messy, powerful tension at the intersection of art, activism, and the billion-euro business of festivals.

We’ll ask:

• What’s the difference between expression and disruption?
• Should festivals stay neutral, or pick a side?
• How do corporate sponsorships shape what’s “acceptable”?
• Can artists use their stage time to shift narratives—or is it just symbolic noise?
• And what happens when the backlash comes, from either direction?

With first-hand insight, this is not your typical panel. It’s a raw conversation about the risks, responsibilities, and reality of turning stages into platforms—for protest, for change, or sometimes just for show.