Sydney festival boycott: more than 20 acts withdraw over Israeli funding

Festival board issues new statement as protest against it grows, with program thrown into chaos two days before opening night

More than 20 acts have pulled out of the 2022 Sydney festival, just 48 hours before opening night, boycotting the festival over a sponsorship deal with the Israeli embassy.

The comedian Tom Ballard, the Belvoir theatre production of Black Brass, former NSW politician Meredith Burgmann, First Nations dance company Marrugeku and commentator Yumi Stynes are just some of the festival participants who have either cancelled or distanced themselves in protest, joining a growing number of Arab, pro-Palestinian, First Nations and Greens groups spearheading the call for a boycott.