On Tuesday, The Great Escape Festival withdrew the Faroe Islands as their lead country partner for their 2025 event, after local interest groups have advocated their concerns over whaling practices taking place on the Islands.

The practices in question are the island's controversial annual whale hunts called "Grind." This past May, the first Grind of 2024 was called.

In the town of Klaksvik, Faroe Islands, people hunted, dragged ashore, and killed forty pilot whales.

The festival announced the withdrawal yesterday in a statement posted to Instagram. "Recent concerns reguarding whaling practices in the Faroe Islands were raised by local interest groups," the statement reads.

"We believe the contributions of Faroese artists should not be overshadowed by this matter, which bears no relation to their artistic work or their significant achievements.''

 

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The Great Escape has affirmed that they will continue to support and collaborate with artists from The Faroe Islands, and is proud of their previous collaborations.

Faroe Islands officials have stated the complex nature of the country's whaling practices. According to them, whaling is considered a cultural practice since the island residents rely on whale meat and blubber as a significant part of their diet.