Mary Wallopers Cut Off at Victorious Over Palestinian Flag

The Mary Wallopers were cut off mid-performance at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth after displaying a Palestinian flag and urging support for Free Palestine, a move the festival described as stemming from a discriminatory chant. Video from the set shows the Irish folk group performing for about 20 minutes before sound was cut and they were escorted off stage. The incident has ignited a broader debate about political expression at music festivals and the growing attention to the investment and ownership structures behind large events.

The band posted on social media that they had been “cut off … for having a Palestinian flag on the stage,” adding that they had been performing for six years without incident and that they would continue to support Free Palestine “all day every day.” The clip circulating online captured a chorus of boos from the crowd as the stage fell silent, with supporters and fellow artists quickly weighing in. The Mary Wallopers’ allies, including the Irish rap trio Kneecap, publicly defended the performers, calling for free expression and denouncing what they described as censorship.

Victorious Festival, one of the country’s prominent summer events, issued a...