Multiple performers have withdrawn from the inaugural MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest in Lisbon, Portugal, an international festival that was to be headlined by comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The departures come ahead of the festival, scheduled from October 29 to November 1. While some acts left the lineup without public explanation, others cited political differences, with some explicitly referencing the Israel-Gaza conflict and support for Palestine.
Actress Inês Aires Pereira announced her withdrawal on Instagram, stating, "one of the names persistently defends ideas and acts that I consider indefensible. We cannot minimize or normalize a genocide." Musical comedy duo Cebola Mol also announced their exit via Instagram, posting a caption that read, "We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion." Their post included a watermelon emoji, a symbol widely used for Palestinian solidarity.
Other high-profile performers, including Tributo Pop, Pedro Tochas, Conjunto Cuca Monga, and Vhils, also withdrew from the festival without stating public reasons.
Seinfeld, the festival's main headliner, has publicly expressed support for Israel. His stance has drawn criticism, including an incident in June where he responded to a "Free Palestine" shoutout by stating, "it doesn’t exist." During an event at Duke University, Seinfeld also commented on pro-Palestinian protests, drawing a comparison between the slogan and the Ku Klux Klan's openness about its antisemitic and anti-Black views.
Comedian and media analyst Tim Young commented on the withdrawals, suggesting that they have a greater impact on the departing performers than on Seinfeld. "I think anybody who is a comedian, anybody who is a performer, would want to work with basically the most successful, if not one of the most successful comedians in world history at this point," Young told Fox News Digital. He characterized the withdrawals as "a group of woke people performing for woke people," indicating that the artists are catering to their existing audience and potentially gaining more publicity from withdrawing than from performing.
Young asserted that Seinfeld is "uncancellable" and that his standing in the comedy world will not be affected by these withdrawals. "You can’t cancel somebody like him," Young said. "Comedy is uncancellable, you get to a certain level, you're not going to be affected by it, and it’s important that people like Seinfeld… come out and say, ‘Hey, you know, this is bad, the things that are happening.'" He further commented, "Adults can't be adults anymore. Everybody has to whine and cry. They will sacrifice their own success for a stupid stance."