Festival season is here, but does politics have a place on the stage?

Festival play is nether way, and starring the charge: the Isle of Wight Festival - dubbed "Europe's Woodstock" - with headliners including Sting and the Stereophonics.

Former N-Sync prima Justin Timberlake - a antheral who's crooned astir his emotion of "dance, dance, dance" and has precocious go a meme for his mic-centric moves connected signifier - is simply a headliner too.

Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival volition spot header acts including Olivia Rodrigo, the 1975, and Charli XCX.

But on with the header stars and blistery weather, authorities has besides recovered its mode into the spotlight.

Youth civilization and governmental look person agelong been portion of the festival experience, with Vietnam, atomic disarmament, Brexit and the Russian penetration of Ukraine each attracting attraction implicit the decades.

This year, with geopolitics seemingly astatine a boiling point, the Israel-Hamas warfare has had far-reaching implications. As the Israel-Iran warfare follows successful its wake, the struggle has prompted beardown opinions connected some sides.

Irish-language rap trio Kneecap's upcoming Glastonbury Festival acceptable has go a flashpoint for robust debate, drafting protests from those calling for their acceptable to beryllium cancelled, arsenic good arsenic those championing their close to talk out.

The basal of the contention? Kneecap set subordinate Liam O'Hanna, 27, was charged with a panic offence earlier this year, accused of displaying a emblem successful enactment of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation successful the UK, astatine a gig past year.

Hezbollah was proscribed successful its entirety successful 2019 due to the fact that the authorities classed it arsenic a violent organisation and said its attacks connected Israel were "attempts to destabilise the fragile concern successful the Middle East".

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Although "removed" from playing astatine Scottish euphony festival TRNSMT adjacent period owed to "safety concerns", Kneecap person remained connected the Glastonbury bill, prompting the question: Is the signifier a spot for governmental opinion?

'If we deliberation we're abstracted from satellite events, we're kidding ourselves'

Faithless prima Sister Bliss, who performed astatine the archetypal of the re-instated Isle of Wight Festivals and is performing again this year, tells Sky News: "If we deliberation that we're abstracted from satellite events, we're perfectly kidding ourselves. Our lives are tied intrinsically to everybody else's connected the planet.

"You tin person definite radical that explicit that successful a mode that is possibly a tad crass, but I emotion that lyrically - particularly connected our records, successful songs that we've made implicit the past 30 years - I consciousness that you tin harvester the idiosyncratic and governmental successful a mode that's not tub-thumping oregon simplistic. These issues are precise nuanced that are going connected successful the satellite close now."

Speaking to Sky News astatine the Isle of Wight Festival, Clean Bandit prima Grace Chatto says artists are close to usage the signifier to amplify their voice.

"It is specified a large spot for governmental speech, similar erstwhile Jeremy Corbyn spoke astatine Glastonbury - it was the astir attended happening of the full event, and it conscionable brought specified a feeling of unity and anticipation successful that tract connected that day".

The 39-year-old cellist adds: "Then recently, Kneecap and Massive Attack person conscionable been truthful important, I think, and amazing."

Earlier this month, Massive Attack, who person antecedently been captious of Israel, included footage of Hamas person Yahya Sinwar and his household arsenic portion of a video montage astatine 1 of their concerts.

'I've got loads of friends who are implicit idiots politically'

Fresh from the Isle of Wight Main Stage, Mae Muller tells Sky News: "With what's happening successful Gaza, I cognize that's been a precise salient taxable with radical saying, 'Should we talk retired astir it oregon not?' But that's not political, it's a quality rights issue.

"It's important for america to usage our voice, due to the fact that not everybody can. If we consciousness powerfully astir something, and we tin basal down it, I deliberation [the signifier is] decidedly a spot to bash it."

Muller, who represented the UK astatine past year's Eurovision Song Competition - which became a highly politicised lawsuit contempt the attempts of the organisers to support it from the signifier - continues: "Art is inherently political, and you can't truly flight it. And we shouldn't privation to flight it. It tin beryllium 2 things astatine once. [Politics] and amusive tin coexist."

Meanwhile, Razorlight front-man Johnny Borrell, up of his Main Stage performance, tells Sky News: "Why not accidental what you judge in? Why does everyone get truthful precious?

"You tin disagree with people. I've got loads of friends who are implicit idiots politically - they deliberation the world is flat. I similar them arsenic people, but I wholly disagree with them successful politics".

Borrell adds: "We don't person a occupation with disagreeing, but if everyone's tapping distant [mimes typing connected a phone] and they're like, 'No, I'm truly angry, I'm going to pat back,' that's a antithetic thing. That's what's changed recently."

A 'disruptor' festival, showing the satellite that thing is possible'

Regardless of the polarised times, Isle of Wight Festival promoter John Giddings, 72, says the Isle of Wight Festival acquisition should beryllium a interruption from activism alternatively than a telephone to arms.

The 72-year-old, who represents artists ranging from Blondie to Phil Collins, told Sky News: "We're purely astir euphony and entertainment, and we are to power disconnected from authorities for 3 oregon 4 days. We're successful the concern of entertaining people, not preaching to people. And I don't recognize wherefore radical effort to. That's a antithetic forum."

Giddings, who relaunched the iconic festival aft it was outlawed by authorities successful 1970, fearing the crowds and rowdy behaviour could detract from the island, whitethorn beryllium keen to debar governmental controversy, but he's keen to interruption the mould successful different areas.

Following a agelong enactment of stars earlier him, including Bob Dylon, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, singer Emmanuel Kelly has go the archetypal physically differently-abled creator to execute connected the Isle of Wight Festival's Main Stage.

The 31-year-old erstwhile X Factor star, who supported Coldplay connected their Music Of The Spheres circuit past year, says arsenic acold arsenic accessibility is concerned, the Isle of Wight Festival is simply a trailblazer.

Kelly tells Sky News: "Somebody that's antithetic is connected the signifier and is capable to amusement the satellite that anything's possible."

Echoing the festival's aboriginal rebel roots, helium credits it with being a "disruptor", adding, "They marque the other effort to thatch the others astir the satellite to marque the other effort arsenic well… It's important and it's happening and I'm excited for it."

The Isle of Wight Festival runs until Sunday 22 June, with the Glastonbury Festival kicking disconnected connected 25 June.