According to a report first aired by KAN News on Monday, the informant – identified only as “Sarah” for security reasons – claims to have been part of a WhatsApp group in which members openly discussed a series of chilling actions intended to harm Israelis expected to attend Boom Festival, one of the world’s largest psytrance festivals. Among the alleged plans: poisoning, arson, and physical contamination of food.
The informant said she joined the activist group under professional pretences and believes the members were unaware of her identity. She claims what began as chaotic chatter among fringe ideologues quickly escalated into detailed and disturbing plans to infiltrate the festival grounds and single out Israelis – most of whom are young adults recently discharged from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“They spoke about giving Israelis ‘a taste of their own medicine’,” she told KAN. “They wanted to poison them, burn their tents, urinate in their food. It moved from fantasy to planning.”
Screenshots aired during the KAN broadcast appear to support the account. In one message, a user proposes dousing a tent with petrol after issuing a “humanitarian warning,” followed by the disturbing phrase: “give them the strychnine drop to cheer them up.” Another message attempts to rationalise poisoning with strychnine – an extremely toxic pesticide – by invoking Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Scheduled to take place in just four weeks near Idanha-a-Nova, Boom Festival is a well-known convergence of global counterculture. Attended by tens of thousands of people from over 170 countries, it prides itself on values of inclusivity, non-violence, and environmental consciousness. Israeli attendees form a visible contingent, many of whom view the event as part of a post-military rite of passage.
Officials urged to respond
Perhaps more concerning than the content of the group chat is what the informant describes as institutional indifference. She claims she alerted festival organisers, only to be met with silence. Her attempts to warn law enforcement, she says, were similarly brushed off.
“The police didn’t take me seriously,” she told KAN. “I felt like I had no choice but to go public. There are thousands of Israelis coming to this festival. They need to be warned.”
As of publication, Portuguese police officials have not issued a formal statement, and Boom Festival organisers have not responded to media requests for comment.
The lack of an official response is now drawing criticism from attendees themselves. One Facebook user commented, “My friends are cancelling. But an official response really should be put up,” while another longtime Boomer said, “I’ve been coming to the Boom for many years and felt totally safe until now! This is very scary. I think management should increase security and provide additional protection.”
Despite growing concerns, Boom Festival 2025 sold out in record time last year – 9 months prior to the event. The rapid sell-out underscores the festival’s enduring global appeal, even as questions mount over attendee safety and the organisers’ responsibility to address serious threats.
A test for Portuguese institutions
If verified, the allegations would raise urgent questions for Portugal’s legal and counterterrorism frameworks. Targeting individuals based on nationality or religion – particularly with toxic substances or fire – constitutes criminal conspiracy under both Portuguese and international law.
“This is not about politics,” said a European counterterrorism official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Planning to poison civilians at a music festival is an act of terrorism, plain and simple.”
At this stage, no arrests have been made, and it remains unclear whether the group in question has the means or intent to carry out their alleged plans. Nevertheless, Israeli embassies and Jewish organisations across Europe have urged festivalgoers to exercise caution.
Boom Festival now faces a moral and operational test: can it uphold its inclusive spirit while confronting the possibility of ideological violence within its gates?