Irish folk band The Mary Wallopers had their set cut short at Victorious Festival after displaying a Palestinian flag and declaring "Free Palestine" during their performance. Three bands - The Last Dinner Party, Cliffords, and The Academic - subsequently boycotted the Portsmouth event in solidarity.
Festival organisers apologised to The Mary Wallopers and pledged to make "a substantial donation to humanitarian relief efforts for the Palestinian people". The organisers had initially claimed the band used a "discriminatory" chant, but later acknowledged their right to artistic expression.
The festival defended its long-standing policy of not allowing flags of any kind for "event management and safety reasons". Officials stressed this policy "is not meant to compromise" artists' rights to express their views within the law.
Artists address controversy
Saturday headliners Vampire Weekend directly addressed the incident at the start of their set. Lead singer Ezra Koenig told the crowd: "If someone was censored for flying a flag then that's wrong and they deserve an apology."
Koenig added that the people of Palestine "deserve our sympathies". The New York band received extended set time due to the boycotting acts, allowing them to play improvised audience requests including Buddy Holly by Weezer and Common People by Pulp.
Scottish rockers Travis performed the sundown slot ahead of the headliners, getting crowds singing along to Why Does It Always Rain on Me? Kaiser Chiefs stepped in to replace Michael Kiwanuka, who withdrew due to illness.
Festival maintains major acts
Kings Of Leon from Nashville remain set to headline Sunday's closing night despite having to cancel other UK shows this summer. Frontman Caleb Followill suffered a serious shattered heel injury requiring emergency surgery that prevented him from travelling and performing.
According to The Standard, Victorious Festival has grown dramatically from 40,000 attendees in 2013 to around 170,000 in 2024, winning major festival awards. Friday night's headline slots were filled by Queens Of The Stone Age and ska legends Madness.
The controversy highlights tensions between festival policies and artistic political expression. Despite the boycotts and political incident, the festival continues with its planned lineup through Sunday's conclusion.
Sources used: "Evening Standard", "Sky News", "The Standard" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
