Sama’ Abdulhadi says Australian visa was not approved ahead of performances
Sama’ was unable to appear at WOMADelaide, who stood by the Palestinian DJ after a pro-Israel campaign group previously called for her removal from the line-up
Sama’ Abdulhadi has said that her Australian visa was not approved in time for two scheduled performances in Adelaide and Victoria over the weekend.
The Palestinian DJ was forced to pull out of both Pitch Music & Arts Festival on Sunday (March 8) and WOMADelaide on Saturday (March 7) following calls for her removal from the bill by a pro-Israel campaign group.
Sama’ shared the news in a series of Instagram stories late last week, explaining that she had been waiting for "days" in Japan for the visa to be approved, but had to make the "difficult decision to return to Europe”.
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According to Deepcut News, pro-Israel group Activism Mailer sent two emails in January directed to WOMADelaide organisers and City of Adelaide councillors, claiming that Sama’ has a “documented history of hateful rhetoric against Israel, Jews, Zionists, and their allies”.
Despite apparent calls for her removal, Resident Advisor reported that WOMADelaide had no intention of pulling Sama’ from the bill, with a spokesperson noting: “We look forward to Sama' Abdulhadi's performance.”
In her latest statement, Sama’ said she was “heartbroken” that she could not make it to her scheduled shows, writing: “Despite submitting all required documents and fully cooperating with the process, my visa was not granted in time.”
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“This has been an incredibly frustrating and disappointing experience,” she said. “The visa process has been made unnecessarily complicated and prolonged, despite my full transparency.”
Sama’ also said that she last visited Australia in December 2022 where she performed “without any issue and compiled with all conditions.”
“As a Palestinian artist who tours internationally, these barriers are not just logistical, they are emotional,” she said, apologising for the circumstances “beyond my control”.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X
