Palestinian DJ Sama’ Abdulhadi was set to perform to tens of thousands of punters at two major Australian festivals this weekend: Pitch Music & Arts and WOMADelaide. However, as she and the organisers for both events have confirmed, her visa to perform in Australia wasn’t approved on time.
“I am heartbroken to share that I will no longer be able to perform in Australia this weekend. Despite submitting all required documents and fully cooperating with the process, my visa was not granted in time,” Abdulhadi shared on her Instagram Stories (per the Sydney Morning Herald).
She continued, “This has been an incredibly frustrating and disappointing experience. The visa process has been made unnecessarily complicated and prolonged, despite my full transparency and my previous successful entry into Australia in December 2022, where I performed without any issue and complied with all conditions.
“As a Palestinian artist who tours internationally, these barriers are not just logistical. They are emotional.”
Both Pitch Music & Arts and WOMADelaide expressed disappointment that Abdulhadi’s visa was not confirmed before the festivals took place.
“We’re deeply saddened to share that Sama’ Abdulhadi will no longer be performing at Pitch … this weekend,” Pitch shared in an Instagram Stories statement (via the Sydney Morning Herald).
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“Despite our team doing everything in our power and working closely with Sama’ and her team to support her application, her visa to enter Australia has not been approved by the Department of Home Affairs in time for her scheduled performance, despite submitting all required documentation and supporting material.”
WOMADelaide added, “Further to the programming updates yesterday, unfortunately, Sama’ Abdulhadi has been unable to travel to Australia in time for her scheduled tour, including her much-anticipated DJ set on Saturday night at WOMADelaide 2026.”
Both festivals have been impacted by artists departing from the line-ups in recent days, as the conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran has seen airports in Qatar and Abu Dhabi close or attempt to reroute flights. As a result, thousands of flights have been cancelled, and flights on other airlines and via other flight paths have become exceedingly expensive or sold out.
Mix Mag and Deep Cut News report that, in January, Abdulhadi was the subject of an alleged lobbying campaign to deny her visa to enter Australia. Additionally, the group that lobbied against her entering Australia compared her impact as a world-renowned DJ and producer to that of those responsible for the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in December.
Born in Jordan to a family that had been exiled from Palestine by Israeli forces, Abdulhadi and her family were granted permission to return to their home country in 1993. At age 13, Abdulhadi recalled the Israeli Defence Force taking over the apartment block she lived in and being forced to stay on the roof.
When she began DJing, Abdulhadi applied for residency in Paris to advance her career.
“Travelling and freedom of movement for Palestinians is impossible,” she remarked in an interview with Trippin’. “I first started moving around for music when I was in Cairo, and I was only being invited by Arab and Palestinian festivals to play.”
She continued, “Then, I applied for a residency in Paris, and I got accepted, but when I came here to get my residency card, they gave me three years instead of three months, and so I just stayed. This is the only reason I can tour, because I’m coming from France, not Palestine.”
Sama’ Abdulhadi last performed in Australia in 2022. Her 2026 WOMADelaide appearance would have marked her first performance at the festival in seven years.
