Photo Credit: Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream (Instagram)
Primal Scream’s 2026 headlining appearance at Trentham Live has been pulled by the festival following concerns of antisemitism at the band’s recent London show.
Scottish band Primal Scream’s headlining appearance at an upcoming music festival has been pulled by Trentham Live 2026 organizers as the band faces allegations of antisemitism. The festival is expected to announce a replacement for the August 21 slot.
Last week, Primal Scream played London’s Roundhouse, where they reportedly showed a video during the performance depicting a swastika within a Star of David. The symbol was transposed over the eyes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel allies, including U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The video ended with the message, “Our government is complicit in genocide.”
The Bobby Gillespie-led band defended the video as art intended “to provoke debate, not hate,” but many others have responded with outrage at the perceived antisemitic imagery—including reps for the Roundhouse, UK-based Jewish charity Community Security Trust, and the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
A spokesperson for the Roundhouse said it “appalled that antisemitic imagery was displayed” during the show, and issued an apology to anyone “who attended the gig, and to the wider Jewish community.” They added that the video had been played during the performance without their prior knowledge.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the combined symbols used in the video were “absolutely sickening and totally inexcusable.” Meanwhile, the Community Security Trust confirmed that it had reported Primal Scream to the British authorities.
“The film is a piece of art,” Primal Scream wrote on Instagram, defending the imagery shown at their gig. “It clearly draws from history to question where the actions of current world governments sit in that context,” they added. “It is meant to provoke debate, not hate. In a free, pluralistic, and liberal society, freedom of expression is a right which we choose to exercise.”
Since then, Primal Scream’s scheduled appearance at the Trentham Live festival on August 21 has been cancelled, according to the BBC.
“The graphics used at a recent Primal Scream concert do not align with our values,” a rep for the festival said in a statement to the BBC. “We therefore decided to cancel their performance at Trentham Live 2026. While we understand some fans may be disappointed, our priority is ensuring we host an inclusive and fun event for all, and we will announce a replacement headliner for the Friday night.”
Further, those who had tickets to the show have been told they will receive refunds from Ticketmaster due to the cancellation of the headlining slot.
