Massive Attack has been banned from entering Singapore after holding up a Palestinian flag at one of their shows in the Southeast Asian country.

The British band, best known for hits like “Unfinished Sympathy” and “Teardrop”, performed at Singapore’s Star Theatre on Wednesday (29 July), with two members shouting “free Palestine” and holding up the Palestinian flag during the gig.

In Singapore, it is illegal to display all foreign flags and national emblems without a permit due to the country’s strict public speech and assembly laws.

Singapore’s police force announced on Friday (31 July) that the two band members were given “stern warnings” and “will also be banned from re-entering Singapore”.

Meanwhile, the country’s media regulator – the Infocomm Media Development Authority – said that it “will also not grant any future application for performances by the band in Singapore in view of the entry ban”.

In a joint statement, the police and IMDA continued: “The Police take a serious view of acts which could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore and urge the public, including foreigners, to refrain from importing foreign politics as this can undermine our social cohesion and the rule of law.

“The peace and harmony between different races and religions in Singapore should not be taken for granted, and we must not let external events affect our society.”

The Independent has contacted Massive Attack’s representatives for comment.

The band, which was formed in Bristol in 1988, currently consists of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall – with former members Andrew Vowles and Adrian Thaws having left in 1999 and 2016 respectively.

Over the years, they have won a number of awards, including a Brit Award for Best British Dance Act in 1996 and an Ivor Novello for Outstanding Contribution to British Music in 2009.

The members of Massive Attack are vocal opponents of Israel’s military actions in Gaza; in April, frontman Robert Del Naja was arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after attending a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London.

Just a week later, the band signed an open letter which called for Eurovision fans to boycott the 2026 contest over Israel’s participation. The letter, which was organised by No Music for Genocide and the BDS movement, called for the European Broadcasting Union to ban Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, from the contest – however, the country was still allowed to take part when the competition took place in May.

Earlier this year, Massive Attack released its first track in over a decade: protest song “Boots on the Ground”. A collaboration with Tom Waits, the song was accompanied by a music video featuring visuals of anti-ICE demonstrations in America as well as Black Lives Matter protests, which were sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

The band is currently on an international tour, with performances scheduled this month in South Korea and Australia.