The 2025 edition of Boom Festival took place amidst a heartbreaking context of human suffering.

In the months leading up to the festival, we were the target of multiple campaigns attempting to tarnish the name of Boom Festival and the hundreds of people from around the world who work to bring it to life. 

There were calls to boycott Boom due to the presence of Israeli artists or participants; attempts to scrutinise the organisation behind the festival; unfounded claims about supposed threats against Israeli people; and demands for public statements — as if an online statement could create peace or place us on the “right side”. Worst of all have been the accusations that we are complicit in genocide. Suddenly, a festival rooted in peace and tolerance has been dragged into conflicts it has absolutely no connection with.

We have seen it all. Yet through it all, we stand firm: 

Boom is a celebration of peace — a gathering rooted in connection, transformation, and harmony.

We have always chosen to act through concrete actions rather than contribute to further division by issuing public statements that often do little more than inflame opinion.
We understand that in today’s world, social media statements can sometimes appear to carry more weight than real actions. But our culture is one of doing — in service of human culture thus priority is the Boomers' wellbeing and safety — not of slacktivism.

Let us be clear: any regime that inflicts pain, colonialism, or genocide cannot be tolerated. All forms of awareness against oppression have our support.

At the same time, we must not confuse the actions of a regime with all the people of a nation. It is important to remember that what is happening today is also being supported by political systems in democratic nations — the so-called "civilised" Western world — even as millions take to the streets demanding justice. This represents one of the greatest disconnects between governments and the people in modern history. It is deeply saddening.

We are living in a time that - tragically - is the opposite of a culture of peace and human understanding.

Boom Festival follows the essence of the psychedelic trance experience; it invites us to a sacred state, to dissolve the ego, transcend conventional identities based on country, or culture. And it encourages us to awaken a deep sense of belonging: to the universe, to nature, and to one another. It is a celebration of peace and of our human ability to co-create a space free from the constraints of dominant culture.

From this place of unity, we consciously foster peace, empathy, and understanding — choosing not to be a vehicle for division. And there are times when choosing peace also means speaking from the heart about the world we live in.

As multiple armed conflicts continue around the world — particularly in the Middle East — we feel it’s important to share some facts and reaffirm our values:

1. Boom Festival is organised by a Portuguese-owned cultural and creative company. It is 100% independent, without sponsorship, logos, corporate influence, or public funding. The accusations that the Boom Festival organisation is owned by Israelis or Brazilians are completely false. Anyone who says otherwise is lying and simply trying to inflame public opinion.

2. Boom Festival has no ties — past or present — with the State of Israel. We do not collaborate with its government. What the Israeli leadership has done has been condemned by the ICC, the UN, and the majority of the world’s population — and, naturally, by a peace organisation like ours.

3. The attempt to associate our festival with actions or entities we are not linked to is abusive and false. There are efforts to drag a peace festival into a war that none of our team has anything to do with. Saying we must “disassociate” from something we are not associated with in the first place is nonsensical.

4. Boom Festival has no connection — direct or indirect — with Israeli-linked investment funds. We reject all such attempts and false association. They are baseless and defamatory.

5. Boom Festival welcomes people from 169 countries. We are an inclusive gathering that does not tolerate discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, or religion. Our community is diverse, and critical of dominant power structures; it seeks alternative ways of being and relating. Must we now be held accountable for the actions of every government represented by our participants — from the USA to China, from England to South Africa, or even Portugal’s own colonial past?! This makes no sense.
Let us be clear: cultural events in Portugal, protected by democratic law, are open to all. This is a hard-earned right of the post-1974 revolution — and one we uphold with conviction.

6. Due to the current geopolitical context, Boom Festival decided not to have physical ticket sellers in Israel, Russia, or in any state currently engaged in acts of aggression. 

7. As a global event, we had artists, facilitators and speakers from dozens of countries. There were calls to boycott Boom based on the nationality of a small number of artists. All the artists from the country in question who were invited are advocates of peace. Boom had personal talks with all of them. No artists who have publicly supported opressive policies of the Israeli or other state were invited — nor will they be in the future. This applies — and will continue to apply — to all countries and artists who promote hate or opressive speech against any population.

8. There have been calls to ban Israeli citizens from attending. Festivals do not write immigration or tourist laws. Only the Portuguese State can regulate entry in the country; this is a matter of state jurisdiction — not cultural operators like Boom.

9. Boom Festival has always been peaceful, with no record of violence throughout its history. Hate speech directed at any population is not acceptable at Boom Festival. Those who might spread it have no connection to the Boom culture. Their intention is merely to create division and violence — completely opposed to the principles of peace, unity, and love that define our Boom community.
 
10. We prefer meaningful humanitarian action to public relations and soundbites. On 21 November 2024, Boom Festival donated funds to Oxfam for their humanitarian mission in Gaza. 

11. Boom Festival is committed to concrete action rather than slacktivism. That’s why we signed a protocol with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) to support their humanitarian efforts in Gaza. We are also supporting Music Saves Ukraine as part of a practical, post-event humanitarian initiative.

12. Donations to both organisations will be made through the Boom Karuna Project — and you can contribute too:

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian organisation providing medical care to people affected by severe crises. Your donation will support their mission in Gaza. Donate to: PT50 0010 0000 6074 3090 0010 2
   
• Music Saves Ukraine is a non-profit fundraising initiative launched by the Ukrainian Association of Music Events, providing immediate humanitarian aid to those most in need in Ukraine. Donate to: IBAN (EUR): UA57 3052 9900 0002 6000 0362 1888 1

13. Boom is a project for human and environmental transformation. As such, our focus is not on geopolitics but on tangible change. We act where we can make an impact: through our culture programme; the Boom experience; and by supporting humanitarian causes. For instance, one of our newsletters addressed the current global context and is available online in the ABC of the Boom State of Mind.

________________________

This year, Boomers were once again an example to the world about tolerance and respect. The absence of national flags, the positive communications, and the overall vibe demonstrated we can live in a radically different way: not a world of revenge, but one of justice, dignity, and healing.

This does not mean ignoring what is going on around us. It means responding to pain with humanity, seeking truth with compassion, and standing for life — all life. Especially the children, and those without a voice.

Healing begins when we see each other not through religion, nationality, or identity, but through the shared vulnerability of being human.

The world is in urgent need of healing. And that healing starts by acknowledging suffering on all sides, rejecting dehumanisation, and choosing love.

Only Love Brings Love.