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Istanbul’s inaugural Back in Town Festival has removed iconic 90s electronic musician Roisin Murphy from its lineup, organizers announced Friday, citing her recent statements as incompatible with the festival’s values. The event, debuting this year, aims to bring together local and international artists across multiple genres.
In an official statement, the festival team said: “From the very beginning, we envisioned a music festival centered around the Istanbul we all long for, where everyone can feel safe. However, the recent statements completely undermined this feeling. We cannot, in good conscience, include her in our program within the framework of such a festival.”
The controversy began with a post Murphy shared on her X account on Oct. 21.
She shared a graph showing a decline in the number of young people aged 18–22 identifying as transgender or non-binary from 2022 to 2024. Accompanying the post, she wrote: “It was never real. Still very sad. Complete devastation for children, families, and society.”
The post drew widespread criticism on social media, with users condemning Murphy’s statements. In response, the festival organizers removed her from the lineup, emphasizing their vision of creating a space “where everyone can feel safe.”
Following the backlash, Murphy herself addressed the controversy directly on X, writing: “Just for the record, I have zero hate toward trans people; I do not deny anyone’s existence. The post that caused such frantic panic … shows a steep decline in trans and non-binary identity in young people over the past few years in the USA. My declaration ‘it was never real' refers to the contagion aided by media, medical institutions, and social media derangement.”
Murphy also reflected on the state of the arts, writing that after 30 years of making the music she believes in, she intends to remain uncompromising both morally and artistically, confident that her legacy will be defined by courage and integrity.
Before the announcement, Murphy was set to perform in Istanbul on Oct. 26 at Maximum Uniq Open Air. Speaking from her home in Ibiza, she reflected on her Manchester roots and her love for Türkiye.
“During the pandemic, we came to Ibiza and decided never to leave. It feels like home in winter,” she said, noting it reminded her of her childhood in Ireland.
On family life, Murphy added, “Screens and the pandemic shaped my children differently, but our home was always full of music and laughter. Listening to adults sing at weddings and pubs was my real school for songwriting.”
She credited Manchester with shaping her music and identity: “I joined music-obsessed teens, saw Sonic Youth at 14, and found community. Manchester gave me self-education through friends, concerts, and curiosity.”
On musical taste, she said, “I preferred smaller clubs with diverse music over impersonal raves. I’m also fascinated by Beethoven; modern music lacks that organic perfection I seek.”
Asked how she stays relevant over 30 years, she said, “It’s about choosing the right collaborators. Intuition, feeling, and timing touch people’s hearts.”
On Istanbul, Murphy shared, “I visited many times in the 2000s out of curiosity and love. I made friends who felt like family and was amazed by the warmth and generosity of the people.”
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