"This has never occurred before..."
23 · 08 · 2025
The Mary Wallopers experienced an early termination of their performance at the Victorious Festival after displaying a sign of support for Palestine.
The Irish band has consistently backed progressive movements and has shown solidarity with Palestine. They performed at the Gig For Gaza at Dublin’s 3Arena two years ago and frequently utilize their platform to deliver pro-Palestinian and anti-war sentiments.
Following a successful set at Boomtown Fair, the band headed to the Victorious Festival on the south coast.
As stated in a post on the Mary Wallopers’ Instagram, their performance was "cut off" prematurely because they had a Palestinian flag on stage.
They added: "Free Palestine all day every day".
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Our correspondent on-site, Chris Connor, who is covering the festival, provided a brief report to Clash stating:
"Mary Wallopers appeared as scheduled and began their first song before initiating a free Palestine chant, urging the audience to join in. After they left the stage and returned with a Palestinian flag, they unexpectedly lost sound without explanation. The audience seemed confused about what had transpired. The festival maintains a strict no flags policy, which has been cited as the reason. It was unfortunate that the set wasn't properly launched, especially since a considerable crowd had gathered and appeared quite disappointed."
The chants included ‘Free Free Palestine’ and ‘From The River To The Sea’.
A spokesperson for the Victorious Festival issued an official statement:
"We discussed the festival’s enduring rule against flags of any kind with the artist prior to the performance, but we respect their right to express their opinions during the show. Although a flag was displayed on stage in violation of our policy, and this was communicated to the artist's team, the performance was not halted at that moment; it was the band's choice to stop the song. The decision to cut the sound and conclude the performance was made only after the band used a chant that's generally perceived to have a discriminatory meaning. To clarify, we honor the right of artists to utilize their platform for expression within the event’s inclusive framework, and it was not the band’s call for 'Free Palestine' that triggered this outcome."
Donate to the Red Cross Gaza appeal HERE.
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The Mary Wallopers were "cut off" during their performance at the Victorious Festival after showing support for Palestine. The Irish band has a history of activism.