Over 200 Musicians sign open letter to PM Andy Burnham to reject Rosebank Oil Field
Massive Attack, Thom Yorke, Brian Eno and more than 200 artists have signed an open letter urging the UK Government to reject the Rosebank oilfield.
Date published: 17th Aug 2026
More than 200 musicians and artists, including Massive Attack, Thom Yorke, Robert Smith, Paris Paloma, Brian Eno, Daniel Avery, Bicep, Confidence Man, YARD ACT, Olly Alexander, and Bobby Gillespie, have signed an open letter urging the UK Government and Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reject the proposed Rosebank oilfield.
Led by music industry climate charity EarthPercent and campaign group Uplift, the letter arrives alongside the latest public consultation on the Rosebank oilfield closing today. The field, located around 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is the largest undeveloped oilfield in the North Sea.
Read the Open Letter from EarthPercent in full - HERE
The letter draws a direct connection between climate change and the music industry, pointing to the impact increasingly extreme weather is having on festivals, live events and the livelihoods built around them.
It reads in part: "We write to you as artists with the knowledge that you are an avid music fan yourself, and that you stood alongside Massive Attack to sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty on behalf of Greater Manchester. We ask that you continue this commitment to no new oil and gas as Prime Minister, and resist lobbying and mis/disinformation of oil and gas companies who are seeking Rosebank’s approval solely for their own benefit."
"Whatever changes happen in politics, one thing is certain: our world is getting hotter. The political decisions made now in 2026 and up to the end of this decade will determine what world future generations will inherit from us. If you approve new oil and gas drilling as our new Prime Minister, while the impacts of the climate crisis are already hurting us all, this is what you will be remembered for."
The intervention follows a similar campaign last year, when more than 100 artists signed an EarthPercent letter calling on the previous Government to reject Rosebank and other new oil and gas developments.
Campaigners estimate Rosebank could be responsible for more than 250 million tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime, while developers argue that projects including Rosebank would bring billions of pounds of investment and support thousands of jobs during construction and production.
EarthPercent co-founder Brian Eno has also called on the Government to maintain its opposition to further fossil fuel expansion, arguing that the decision represents a choice between approving another major oil development and responding to the increasingly visible effects of climate change.
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Header image credit: Brian Eno / Massive Attack / Paris Paloma // Facebook.com