Hozier speaks out against hate at ACL Fest 2025: 'I believe people are good'

Hozier  calmly strolled onto the T-Mobile Stage around 8:15 p.m. on Friday night. Hands in pockets and looking relaxed as ever to be back at Austin City Limits Music Festival, he opened his set with "Nobody's Soldier." As he sang, miniature old-school TVs in the background displayed images of bullets, greedy smiles, dollar signs, mannequin arms and legs, gold bars and the word "liquidity."

"Choose between being a pauper or a butcher," Hozier sang. "Honey, I'm taking no orders. I'm gonna be nobody's soldier."

From that moment, it was clear the Irishman had something to say. As he approached his final two songs, the band began a drum break. 

MORE: Finneas and Ashe's new band, the Favors, make emotional ACL Fest debut

But instead of jumping into his next hit, Hozier began to speak. The Irishman mentioned the impact of artists such as Pete Seeger, Nina Simone and Mavis Staples, who played large roles in the 1960s civil rights movement, which directly inspired the Northern Irish civil rights movement in 1967. He spoke about supporting the rights of workers, migrants, women, transgender and gay people. The crowd responded with cheers of affirmation each time he took a breath.

But at the heart of his impassioned speech was a simple message.

"At the core of it, I believe it's so (expletive) simple," Hozier said. "I believe that people are good."

Peel back the folk and soul in Hozier's songs and his beliefs stand starkly in the lyrics. When he sang "Eat Your Young," the screen flashed numerous statistics: the number of children displaced during conflict, the increase in global military spending since 2000, the total homeless population in the United States and more. 

In an interview with Genius on YouTube, Hozier said the song is about how children are used as pawns in culture wars among the powerful.

"Adults and people who are not long for this world are playing with the lives of children and the future of children for their own political ends," he said. 

Empathy bled through Hozier's words and into the Austin crowd. He spoke out against anti-Semitism and made clear his support for ending violence in the Middle East, hoping for peace and security for all. He believes in Palestine's right to exist as a free state, he said, tracing the sentiment to his Irish roots. In 1980, Ireland became the first United Nations member  to call for Palestinian statehood.

Hozier urged his audience to use their rights to free speech and freedom of association and their democratic voices. He reminded them of the work that went into the movements that earned them those privileges.

To be clear, Hozier put on a sublime performance at ACL. Songs such as "Francesca," "Take Me to Church" and "De Selby (Part 2)" reverberated with irresistible rhythm. The raucous crowd fell silent as he sang "Cherry Wine," his guitar and husky voice echoing through the grounds.

But on Saturday, empathy was at the front of Hozier's mind. And despite his strong words, he did not insult or belittle a single person or group. Instead, he chose to trust that inside every human lies goodness that cannot be killed.

"They have generous hearts. They want to see human beings live in peace, safety and security," Hozier said. "I believe they want that for their neighbors ... I believe that people want that for people they don't know, people they may disagree with, whose experience doesn't resonate with them." 

"That everyday empathy is so powerful. Thank you so, so much for letting me witness that."

Follow the American-Statesman on  Facebook  and  X  for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access  all of our best content  with  this tremendous offer .