A growing number of musicians and industry professionals have publicly criticised King’s Place, the arts venue near King’s Cross, over its decision to host a defence industry conference sponsored by Lockheed Martin.
The event, Defence in Space, is set to return to the venue on 28th-29th October 2025.
The backlash follows an earlier decision by Gazelle Twin to cancel her scheduled performance at King’s Place. She cited discomfort with performing in a venue “that ultimately profits from the arms industry,” even while acknowledging that the King’s Place Foundation itself may not have made the booking decision.
In a newly published open letter titled ‘Art Not Arms’, signatories have called on King’s Place and its commercial partner Green & Fortune to cancel the event. “We are deeply shocked and appalled at King’s Place’s decision to host, for a second year running, the Defence in Space conference, sponsored by Lockheed Martin,” the letter states.
The authors specifically highlight Lockheed Martin’s role as a key supplier of F-35 fighter jets to the Israeli military. According to Amnesty International and other sources, these aircraft were reportedly used in a July 2024 strike on Al-Mawasi, Gaza, that killed 90 civilians and injured over 300.
“King’s Place is an important multi-arts venue that has become a vital space for a large and diverse community of artists, audience members, and partner organisations,” the letter continues. “Hosting a conference of this nature, with a sponsor which has wilfully and profitably played its part in the death of multiple civilians, undermines the values the venue claims to uphold.”
The venue’s Earth Unwrapped series, which seeks to engage artists around themes of climate and collective healing, is specifically cited by the letter’s authors as being incompatible with the presence of an arms industry sponsor.
Among the demands are the cancellation of the October conference, a public explanation of how the booking was accepted, and a commitment that future events at King’s Place will not be subsidised by “blood money”.
At the time of writing, King’s Place has not issued a public response.
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- Arms Industry
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