Irish Band Claims Set Was Cut Short Over Palestinian Flag Display at UK Festival
Irish folk band The mary Wallopers allege they were stopped mid-performance at the Victorious Festival in portsmouth,England on Friday,August 22,2025,after displaying a Palestinian flag on stage. The band, scheduled to perform at the festival alongside acts like Vampire Weekend, The Kaiser Chiefs, and Kings of Leon, stated they had “never” experienced such an issue in six years of performing. They posted on Instagram following their set, declaring “Free Palestine all day every day.”
however, festival organizers claim the set was cut short due to a ”discriminatory” chant used by the band.
A statement provided to the Daily Mail explained that the festival has a policy against displaying flags of any kind,a point discussed with the band prior to their performance. While the flag’s presence was noted and raised with the band’s crew, the sound wasn’t cut until after the chant was used. The statement clarified, “The decision…to cut the sound and end the performance was only taken after the band used a chant which is widely understood to have a discriminatory context.” Organizers emphasized they respect artists’ rights to express views within an inclusive habitat, and the interruption wasn’t a direct response to the “Free Palestine” call itself.
Irish rap trio Kneecap voiced support for the Mary Wallopers on X (formerly Twitter), stating the band was “pulled off stage and the PA shut down” for displaying the flag and voicing support for Palestine. Kneecap’s post criticized the response as treating advocacy against “genocide” like a criminal act, and also included the slogan ”Free the 6 counties!”
The incident follows a recent controversy involving the BBC, which apologized last month for a performance by punk rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury in June.The BBC’s apology stemmed from frontman Pascal Robinson-Foster leading the crowd in chants of “death, death to the IDF” during a televised and iPlayer-streamed set.Avon and Somerset Police are currently investigating comments made during Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance.
