Music event in Britain expresses regret towards a musical group who claim they were abruptly discontinued due to displaying a Palestinian flag.

In a controversial turn of events at the Victorious music festival in Portsmouth, England, Irish folk band The Mary Wallopers found themselves at the centre of a free speech debate. The incident, which took place during their August 2025 performance, has since become a part of a larger controversy surrounding pro-Palestinian activism and free speech in the UK.

During their set, The Mary Wallopers' banjo player chanted "Free Palestine" before his microphone was cut. A video from another angle shows The Mary Wallopers' guitarist, Charles Hendy, asking if the band could continue playing, with a person offscreen responding that the Palestinian flag needed to be removed.

Andrew Hendy, a representative at the Victorious music festival, had reportedly warned The Mary Wallopers not to display a Palestinian flag or risk being cut off, prompting audience members to leave the festival grounds. The organisers of the festival, it seems, have a long-standing policy against flags on stage, a rule that The Mary Wallopers inadvertently breached.

Jess Huxham, another attendee, mentioned that other bands at the festival that day had also said "Free Palestine" during their sets, suggesting that the incident with The Mary Wallopers may not have been an isolated one.

Emma Gaynor, an audience member, stated that she did not hear anything discriminatory during the incident and that it happened quickly. The edited video from The Mary Wallopers' concert at the Victorious music festival, however, shows the band's banjo player saying "Free Palestine, and f***k Israel" before their performance.

Following the incident, the organisers of the Victorious music festival issued an apology on Instagram, acknowledging that the sound for The Mary Wallopers' audience was cut during their set. They also pledged to donate to humanitarian efforts for Palestinians. A Palestinian flag was removed from one of the speakers during The Mary Wallopers' set at the festival.

The Mary Wallopers decided to leave the stage after being told to remove the Palestinian flag. This decision, it seems, has had far-reaching consequences. The United States government revoked the band members' visas ahead of their US tour following the incident at the Glastonbury Festival, where they had also displayed a Palestinian flag during their set.

The controversy has led several performers to pull out of the Victorious music festival. As the dust settles, it remains to be seen how this incident will shape the future of pro-Palestinian activism and free speech in the UK's music festival scene.

In a more recent development, the police in the UK launched a criminal investigation after rap duo Bob Vylan chanted "Death to the IDF" at their Glastonbury Festival set in June. The incident at the Victorious music festival, it seems, is part of a larger, ongoing discussion about the boundaries of free speech in the UK's music industry.

As audience members began chanting "Free Palestine" and "Let them play!" as The Mary Wallopers left the stage, it's clear that the issue is one that resonates deeply with many. The Mary Wallopers, it seems, have become unwitting pawns in a larger struggle for freedom of expression and support for Palestine.