Story
In 2015 I was invited to visit a showcase event in Israel and decided as part of the trip to visit Palestine…
What I saw in the West Bank, the people I met, the stories I heard, and the friends I made moved me profoundly.
My big thought was that solving the situation in Palestine was well above my pay grade but perhaps I could use my music connections to make a positive contribution.
18 months later working with my new friends Palestine music Expo (PMX) was born.
2017-2019 - Palestine Music Expo
Our festivals in 2017, 2018, and 2019 became major events in Palestine. We hosted 150 music industry professionals, including representatives from key organisations such as Glastonbury Festival, the Southbank Centre, The Barbican, many international festivals, booking agents, record labels and distributors, and music publishers... and Brian Eno.
PMX gave Palestinian musicians gave hope visibility, and opportunities.
It led to a number of tours, management and record contracts for many Palestinian musicians and introduced the international community to the richness of Palestinian music.
2021-2023 - Music and Joy for Gaza
During the COVID years we did online workshops with Palestinian musicians.
After the war in 2021 we started our program of children's festivals in Gaza and despite significant obstacles, did 8 festivals between 2021 and 2023, entertaining over 20.000 children.
We also arranged the first songwriting camp in the West Bank.
2025 - Supporting Displaced Gazan Musicians in Egypt
After our Gaza Director, Ahmed, was displaced to Egypt in 2024, we began a year-long programme supporting Gazan refugee musicians who arrived with nothing.
We provided instruments, rehearsal spaces, paid gigs (including festival stages), training, and — crucially — access to psychotherapy.
2026 - A New Chapter — Palestine, Egypt, and the UK
We successfully secured a skilled worker visa for Ahmed and his family to rebuild their lives in England.
(In Egypt, Palestinian refugees are classified as “illegal immigrants” with no rights, protection, or income.)
Now, our mission continues on three fronts:
** Restarting our programmes in Palestine
** Continuing our support for displaced Gazan musicians in Egypt
** Creating opportunities in the UK and internationally for Palestinian artists
We Need Your Support
For ten years, our work has been made possible almost entirely through crowdfunding.
To continue in 2026, we must raise £100,000.
Every contribution — big or small — helps musicians rebuild their lives, sustain their art, and keep Palestinian music alive on the world stage.
If you believe in the power of music to heal, to empower, and to connect people across borders, please support our work.
Thank you for standing with Palestinian musicians.
Your help genuinely changes lives.