Irish folk group The Mary Wallopers have rejected claims by Victorious Festival organisers that they used a “discriminatory” chant during their performance in Portsmouth. The band said their set was cut short on Friday after they displayed a Palestinian flag on stage. Festival organisers, however, stated that the decision was taken in response to a chant they deemed discriminatory.
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The band shared a video on Instagram the following day, describing the organisers’ statement as “misleading”. They argued that the footage showed a crew member removing the Palestinian flag from the stage before the sound was cut, shortly after a chant of “Free Palestine” from the crowd. In their statement, the group said: “We completely reject Victorious’ portrayal of today’s events and request that they retract their statement immediately.”
In response, a spokesperson for the festival said artists had been informed beforehand of a long-standing policy prohibiting flags of any kind. While acknowledging that a flag was displayed on stage against this rule, organisers insisted the show was not ended for that reason. They said the performance was only halted after “a chant which is widely understood to have a discriminatory context”. The spokesperson added that artists were free to express their views within the “inclusive nature” of the event and stressed that it was not the call to “Free Palestine” which prompted their action.
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The incident has sparked debate, with fellow Irish act Kneecap posting on X in support of The Mary Wallopers. “Speak up against genocide in England and you’re treated like a criminal. Up the Mary Wallopers,” the group wrote. Victorious Festival is continuing throughout the weekend, with headline performances scheduled from Vampire Weekend, The Kaiser Chiefs and Kings of Leon. The controversy follows the BBC’s apology last month for a divisive set by punk rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
