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The Mary Wallopers had their sound cut during a performance in Portsmouth, England Alamy Stock Photo
Victorious Festival
Music festival denies cutting off The Mary Wallopers due to displaying Palestine flag on stage
Videos posted online show the crowd booing when the sound is cut, as well as chants of ‘let them play’.
A MUSIC FESTIVAL in the UK has denied that Irish act The Mary Wallopers were cut off due to displaying a Palestine flag on stage.
The Mary Wallopers were performing at the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, England this evening.
In a post on social media, the band said it was “cut off for having a Palestine flag on stage”.
“We’ve been doing this six years now and this has never happened before,” said the band.
“Free Palestine all day every day,” added The Mary Wallopers.
Meanwhile, Kneecap said in a post on social media that The Mary Wallopers were “pulled off stage and the PA shut down for taking out a Palestine flag and saying ‘Free Palestine’”.
Our good pals The Mary Wallopers have just been pulled off stage and the PA shut down at @VictoriousFest in Portsmouth for taking out a 🇵🇸 flag and saying Free Palestine.
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) August 22, 2025
Speak up against genocide in England and you're treated like a criminal.
Up the Mary Wallopers 💚🤍🧡… pic.twitter.com/l9XdBL1jcm
In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Victorious Festival said: “We spoke to the artist before the performance regarding the festival’s long-standing policy of not allowing flags of any kind at the event, but that we respect their right to express their views during the show.
“Although a flag was displayed on stage contrary to our policy, and this was raised with the artist’s crew, the show was not ended at this point, and it was the artist’s decision to stop the song.”
The spokesperson said that the “decision by the event management 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.”
“To be clear, we respect the right of artists to use their platform to express their views within the inclusive nature of the event and it was not the band’s call to ‘Free Palestine’ which resulted in this outcome,” added the spokesperson.
Shame on the victorious festival for kicking of the Mary wallopers off stage for saying free Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/cyQ6uwJmt2
— ks 🙏🏽❤️ (@kristia43208575) August 22, 2025
Videos posted online show the crowd booing when the sound is cut, as well as chants of “let them play”.
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