Cage The Elephant urged to change name to Free The Elephant
To highlight the plight of a 56-year-old captive Asian elephant
Animal rights organisation PETA is calling on Cage The Elephant to temporarily change their band name to Free The Elephant.
The name-change request is to highlight the plight of a 56-year-old captive Asian elephant called Okha, who was taken from the wild in India as a calf and has spent over half a century performing in circuses across North America.
Two-time Grammy-winning rockers Cage The Elephant headline the halftime show during the 2026 NFL Munich Game between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions this Sunday (15th November) at the FC Bayern Munich Arena.
PETA believes this high-profile performance is the perfect time for Cage The Elephant to become ‘Free the Elephant’ across its social media accounts for a week.
In an open letter sent to the band, PETA writes, “There ain’t no rest for Okha. We think you’d agree that she deserves the chance to spend her remaining years in peace with care, dignity, and respect.
“Lending a rendition of your iconic name for a short while could… help us come a little closer to ending animal cruelty in circuses.”
PETA has organised more than 30 demonstrations on Okha’s behalf, contacted venues hosting animal acts, and rallied tens of thousands of supporters to call for her retirement.
Featuring the Absolute Radio playlisted single ‘Make It Easy’, Cage The Elephant release their new studio album ‘Dying In Reverse’ on Friday 5th February 2027.
They embark on a headline UK tour later that month, playing Cardiff, Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester before concluding with a massive gig at London’s Alexandra Palace.