From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Performer raises Palestinian flag onstage at London’s Royal Opera House, prompting brief scuffle
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA performer holding a Palestinian flag touched off a brief scuffle on stage at the Royal Opera House in London last night as cast members were taking their bows following the season’s final performance of “Il Trovatore.”
Images posted on social media show what appears to be a member of the chorus holding the unfurled flag in front of his chest while the lead singers bask in the audience’s applause. After a few moments, someone backstage attempts to grab the flag, but the performer holds onto the banner and snaps back into place.
???? Performer unfurls Palestinian flag in Royal Opera House protest
(Credit: sydcas/X) pic.twitter.com/gAifyUBnsp
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 20, 2025
Singers were taking their bows after the end of the opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Director Adele Thomas’s production reinterprets the story of desire and an all-consuming curse, the opera says.
“The display of the flag was spontaneous and unauthorized action by the artist,” the opera company says in a statement. “It was not approved by the Royal Ballet & Opera and is not in line with our commitment to political impartiality.”
The Times of Israel Community.