Singapore Investigates Massive Attack Over Palestinian Flag Display at Concert

British trip-hop band Massive Attack is facing scrutiny from Singaporean authorities following their concert on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The band displayed a Palestinian flag during their performance at The Star Theatre, an act that has reportedly led to an investigation by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

The IMDA, a statutory board under Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information, is reportedly looking into alleged breaches of the concert's permit conditions. The concert promoter, Lushington, confirmed awareness of the reports and stated they would cooperate fully with the authorities. This concert was reportedly Massive Attack's only Singaporean date on their "Massive Attack x Live Tour 2026."

Social media videos show band members Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall raising the Palestinian flag on stage to cheers from the audience. One concertgoer told CNA that the band also chanted "Free Palestine," a slogan echoed by many attendees. Singaporean regulations generally forbid the display of foreign national symbols in public without explicit permission, with penalties including fines up to S$500 or imprisonment up to six months.

Massive Attack reportedly informed the audience that they had removed a song from their setlist to comply with "local laws," though the specific song was not disclosed. Earlier in July, Robert Del Naja had planned to invite Palestinian activist Arab Barghouti to speak at Massive Attack's Primavera Sound Barcelona set, but the appearance was canceled due to weather. Arab Barghouti did, however, introduce Gorillaz's headline set at the festival.

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Some times a patient's wish is to see a heavy metal concert. Ours couldn't go to one, so we brought the concert to him.