Victorious Festival Apologizes After The Mary Wallopers’ Set Cut Short Over Palestinian Flag Display, Sparking Artist Boycotts

PORTSMOUTH, UK – Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, England, has issued a comprehensive apology after Irish folk band The Mary Wallopers had their performance abruptly curtailed following the display of a Palestinian flag on stage during their set. The incident, which quickly escalated into a wider debate about artistic freedom and political expression at music festivals, led to several other bands withdrawing from the event in solidarity. [2, 3, 8]

The controversy unfolded on Friday, August 22, 2025, during The Mary Wallopers’ performance on one of the festival stages. The band, known for their politically charged folk music, unfurled a Palestinian flag and affixed it to a speaker. Footage shared by the band shows banjo player Andrew Hendy initiating the set with a declaration of “Free Palestine, and fk Israel.” [2, 6]

According to the band and eyewitness accounts, a stagehand soon approached the stage and removed the flag. Following this, The Mary Wallopers led the audience in chants of “Free, Free Palestine,” at which point the sound for their performance was cut. [2, 6, 12, 13]

Initially, Victorious Festival released a statement claiming the band’s set was cut short due to a “discriminatory” chant and that the band had decided to stop their performance after being informed of the festival’s “long-standing policy of not allowing flags of any kind” for “event management and safety reasons.” [3, 4, 6]

However, The Mary Wallopers swiftly contested this narrative, posting video evidence that depicted a crew member actively interfering with their show by removing the flag, followed by the sound being cut after the chant of ‘Free Palestine.’ The band explicitly rejected the festival’s initial statement as “misleading.” They further highlighted that a crew member was heard stating, “you aren’t playing until the flag is removed.” [2, 8, 9, 13, 16]

The band emphasized that they have incorporated “Free Palestine” messages into their performances for six years without prior incident. [16] This claim was seemingly corroborated by other artists at Victorious Festival, with ‘Free Palestine’ chants reportedly heard during sets by Sprints and headliners Madness, whose frontman Suggs allegedly disagreed with the festival’s decision regarding The Mary Wallopers. [6]

In the wake of mounting public criticism and the band’s video evidence, Victorious Festival released a second, more conciliatory statement. The festival acknowledged that while their no-flag policy was in place for safety and management reasons, it was not intended to compromise artists’ right to express their views. Crucially, they conceded that “although mics remained live for longer, sound for The Mary Wallopers’ audience was cut as described in the band’s video and that comments after that were not audible to the public.” [2, 3, 5, 14]

As a gesture of apology and in recognition of the broader humanitarian context, Victorious Festival pledged to make a “substantial donation to humanitarian relief efforts for the Palestinian people.” [2, 3, 5, 12, 14]

The incident rapidly triggered a wave of solidarity within the music community. Several scheduled acts, including British alternative rock band The Last Dinner Party, Irish band Cliffords, and Irish indie group The Academic, announced their withdrawal from Victorious Festival. They cited outrage over “political censorship” and a refusal to participate in an event they felt stifled free speech. [3, 8, 9, 10, 14] Irish rap trio Kneecap also voiced strong support for The Mary Wallopers. [11, 15]

The controversy at Victorious Festival underscores the ongoing tension between event organizers’ policies, perceived safety concerns, and artists’ desire to use their platforms for political and social commentary. It highlights the complex environment cultural events navigate when faced with geopolitical issues, particularly those as contentious as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the increasing pressure from artists and audiences to uphold principles of free expression.