Today marks one year since the deadliest-ever attack at a music festival, when Hamas gunmen killed 364 concertgoers and took dozens of others hostage at Supernova festival in Israel.

The Supernova Sukkot trance music gathering was stormed at 6:29 am on 7 October 2023, as part of coordinated attacks on Israel. Around 4,000 people from 36 countries attended the festival, which was held in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im – less than 5km from the Gaza Strip.

The festival was organised by promoter Tribe of Nova and staged under Brazil’s Universo Paralello brand.

Hundreds of survivors and bereaved relatives gathered yesterday at Tel Aviv’s Hangar 11 event hall for a memorial ceremony, organised by the Tribe of Nova community.

“On this evening we will stand together as one, to support each other, hear the voice of pain and longing, share stories and memories, and find comfort in the power of love and hope,” wrote Tribe Of Nova ahead of the event on Instagram.

The two-hour event featured speeches by bereaved family members, short films and music performances, and concluded with a call to release the hostages still held in Gaza – about 100, a third of whom are feared to be dead.

At 6:29 a.m today, the families of those killed at the Nova music festival, joined by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, gathered at the festival site in Kibbutz Re’im to mark the anniversary. Before the minute’s silence, organisers played the last track attendees danced to before the deadly assault.

Following the attack last year, the festival’s promoter launched a foundation to support the long-term recovery of the 3,882 survivors and bereaved families with gatherings, workshops, memorials and financial support.

Tribe of Nova said it was “shocked and pained” by the tragedy, adding that the attack was “the epitome of pure and unbridled evil”

Memorials, art exhibitions and installations have popped up across the globe since the 7 October massacre.

At this year’s Burning Man festival in the US, attendees paused at 6:29 am to honour the victims of the atrocity and an installation featuring the multi-coloured tent that stood at the centre of the festival was erected.

This installation has since appeared in an exhibit called 06:29am The Moment Music Stood Still, which was launched this year in Tel Aviv, and has since been displayed in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia and opens today in Buenos Aires.

The exhibit includes remains salvaged from the festival grounds, including scorched cars, bullet-riddled bathroom stalls and personal belongings, as well as video testimonies from survivors, volunteers and family members.

Last month, the BBC released a documentary about the attack called We Will Dance Again, featuring the testimony of survivors, mobile phone footage, and footage from Hamas fighters.”

It forms part of a group of programmes the BBC is producing around the 7 October anniversary, with the next set to be Life and Death in Gaza, a documentary filmed by four Palestinians documenting the humanitarian crisis following the invasion of the Gaza Strip.

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The death toll from the massacre at Israel’s Supernova festival has been raised to more than 360, according to a new report.

It was originally reported that at least 260 people were killed and dozens taken hostage after Hamas stormed the psy-trance music gathering, held in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im, not far from the Gaza Strip, last month.

The Times of Israel, via TV station Channel 12, reports the revised death count equates to a third of the 1,200 people killed in the coordinated 7 October attacks on Israel and makes up half of all civilian casualties.

Supernova was attended by around 4,000 people, but while the attack was the deadliest ever assault on a music event, police believe Hamas was unaware of the festival in the lead-up to the massacre.

Channel 12 says that investigators reached that conclusion after questioning of captured terrorists, and also because they did not find maps on the bodies of dead terrorists directing them to the event, in contrast to the other massacres that day.

“We will dance again and that will be our victory”

The TV report added that police believe the perpetrators only became aware a major event was taking place in the Re’im area and headed towards it after police began dispersing festival-goers because of the wider attacks.

Supernova Sukkot organisers Tribe of Nova paid tribute to the victims at an official memorial ceremony last week.

“We went through something that we had no control over, we will take care of everyone and help everyone,” said Omri Sassi and Nimrod Arnin at the memorial, held at Kibbutz Sdot Yam. “We love the country. We will dance again and that will be our victory.”

Staged under the Universo Paralello brand, the Brazil-hailing festival was being held in Israel for the first time. Acts included Artifex, Aladin, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.

Executives from Israel’s live music industry have called the Hamas attack the “biggest-ever disaster at a music festival”, adding that business will be paused for the foreseeable future.

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Organisers of Israel’s Supernova Sukkot festival have paid tribute to the victims of the massacre at an official memorial ceremony.

At least 260 people were killed and others taken hostage in the deadliest-ever attack on a music event after Hamas stormed the second day of the trance music gathering, held near the Gaza-Israel border on 7 October, as part of a wider coordinated attack on Israel.

“We went through something that we had no control over, we will take care of everyone and help everyone,” said Omri Sassi and Nimrod Arnin of promoter Tribe of Nova during this week’s memorial, held at Kibbutz Sdot Yam. “We love the country. We will dance again and that will be our victory.”

Staged under the Universo Paralello brand, the festival had attracted around 3,000 people to the desert near Kibbutz Re’im, not far from the Gaza Strip. Acts included Artifex, Aladin, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.

Sassi lost four relatives in the attack, while Arnin lost his sister.

“At the happiest and most intense moment of the day, terrorists came bursting in, launched a missile attack and started murdering people”

Speaking to Walla News, via National Post, the pair added: “The Nova community suffered the largest number of murders. This was the largest event we have done to date, a lot of people came from abroad to spend time at the event.

“At some point, at the height of the event, at sunrise, at the happiest and most intense moment of the day, terrorists came bursting in, launched a missile attack and started murdering people.”

Tribe of Nova has launched a fundraiser to support victims.

“We send endless love and a big big hug to all the members of the tribe, while wishing a speedy and complete recovery to all the wounded and injured and praying for the strengthening of their families and the spouses of the murdered,” says the organisation. “We will not leave anyone behind, we will spread this one and only truth to the rest of the world and bring out a bright and strong light that will accompany us in all our actions, until good prevails over evil.”

Executives from Israel’s live music industry called the Hamas attack the “biggest-ever disaster at a music festival”, adding that business will be paused for the foreseeable future.

The BBC reports that 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage in Hamas’ 7 October attacks, while the Hamas-run health ministry says more than 11,000 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel, including 4,500 children.

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The company behind Israel’s Supernova Sukkot festival has issued a fresh statement in response to the 7 October massacre.

At least 260 people were killed after Hamas stormed the second day of the trance music gathering, held near the Gaza-Israel border, as part of a wider coordinated attack on Israel.

Festival organiser Tribe of Nova said it was “shocked and pained” in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, and have now posted a lengthy update on its Facebook page.

Expressing its “sincere and heartfelt condolences to all the families, friends, partners and couples who have lost their loved ones or have been affected by the tragic events”, the promoter adds: “What was planned to be the happiest and largest electronic music festival of the Nova Tribe has turned into a scene of unspeakable tragedy, an inhumane war crime, an unprecedented violation of the most basic human values.

“This is the epitome of pure and unbridled evil, the horrifying and senseless murder of countless innocent angels, whose only ‘crime’ was being Jewish and living in Israel.

“It’s no wonder that these agents of darkness targets this joyous gathering of children of light, for their sole and singular purpose is to bring darkness upon the world. But we won’t let them do that! We will keep fighting until we reach our objective adorned on our tribe’s flag: to spread light throughout the world, with the help of the holy people of Israel and the Nova Tribe.”

“This was the largest terrorist attack in Israeli history”

According to the BBC, Israel says that 199 people are being held hostage in Gaza after Hamas gunmen infiltrated Israel just over a week ago, killing more than 1,400 people. More than 2,700 people in Gaza have reportedly been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel.

Held as part of Brazilian festival franchise Universo Paralello, Supernova featured artists such as Aladin, Artifex, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.

“We were brutally attacked by hundreds of terrorists, heartless, ruthless and lacking any mercy,” continues Tribe of Nova. “They murdered in cold blood hundreds of women and men, our beloved Tribe of Nova members, as well as numerous innocent Israeli civilians.

“It was a heinous, terrifying, brutal massacre of innocent civilians from all over the country and the world, the best and most among us. This was the largest terrorist attack in Israeli history. Taking the lives of 1,400 pure and innocent souls with over 150 remain[ing] missing, thousands left physically injured to varying degrees, and tens of thousands psychologically, emotionally and mentally broken.”

Executives from Israel’s live music industry have called the Hamas attack the “biggest-ever disaster at a music festival”, adding that business will be paused for the foreseeable future.

“Our production team is focused on providing the right and extensive emotional and mental support to everyone involved”

The Kibbutz Re’im festival site is still not entirely secure even after days of fighting, with Tribe of Nova working “day and night” to assist with search and rescue operations.

“At this moment, our production team is focused on providing the right and extensive emotional and mental support to everyone involved. This is the most important thing in this moment,” adds the promoter.

“We are working tirelessly, day and night, conducting search and rescue operations, helping identify the victims and updating their families. Searching for those located in the disaster area, or other locations, recovering equipment from the site and its surroundings and, above all, ensuring the security of Israel. This is our sole goal, and we will stand behind it and fulfil it to the best of our abilities. We will not stop.

“We are present at the disaster site and its vicinity day in and day out, working hand in hand with security forces and authorities to help find answers and bring back all that those who can return to their families and friends. At the moment, this is our top priority. In the meantime, it’s essential for us to convey the following message: Our strength lies in our unity! We are in a war for our home, and it’s essential that we all come together, strengthen each other, and unite under one great, shining light to overcome this dark period as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, the German Music Council, the Music Industry Forum, GEMA and GVL have declared their solidarity with the people of Israel in the wake of the attack.

“The German Music Council and the Music Industry Forum join the German Cultural Council’s call for solidarity with the people of Israel and are horrified by the attacks on civilians,” says a joint statement. “Hamas’ terrorist attack and the suffering it has brought to people are beyond words and a new, terrible wake-up call that anti-Semitism must have no place in our society.

“We stand against anti-Semitic hatred and our condolences go out to the victims and their families who were deliberately chosen as targets of terror and torn from their lives. The German music industry stands with Jews against any form of anti-Semitism.”

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Organisers of Israel’s Supernova festival say they are “shocked and pained” by the Hamas attack that killed at least 260 people.

The psy-trance event debuted in the country from 6-7 October, but was stormed by Palestinian militants on Saturday morning as part of a wider coordinated offensive on Israel.

Tribe of Nova, the company behind the festival, which was held near the Gaza-Israel border, says it has been left “stunned” by the massacre, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for.

“We strengthen and share the grief of the missing and murdered families,” it says in a Facebook post. “We are doing everything we can to assist the security forces, stand with them in constant contact and are located in the area in scans and searches in order to locate the missing.”

“In moments like these, it is important that we are strong and united, full of faith, support each other and be there for anyone who needs it”

Held as part of Brazilian festival franchise Universo Paralello, the festival featured an international line-up including Aladin, Artifex, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.

Tribe of Nova has set up an online system whereby people can upload the details of missing festival-goers, which will then passed on to the relevant authorities.

“We [will] pass on to relevant parties every piece of information that comes to us about additional missing persons,” adds the post. “We invite you to bring any additional information about family members and friends who have not yet contacted. We are full of hope and pray that good news will reach us and you soon.

“In moments like these, it is important that we are strong and united, full of faith, support each other and be there for anyone who needs it.”

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