Edinburgh Fringe venue admits to discrimination when canceling Jewish comedian

The Banshee Labyrinth – used as an Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue – has admitted to discriminating against Jewish comedian Philip Simon by canceling his show last year over his identity and views.The venue issued an apology and accepted responsibility following legal scrutiny regarding the decision to drop Simon from the festival lineup. The cancellation happened after venue staff reviewed Simon's social media activity concerning the conflict in Gaza.In a statement given to British comedy website Chortle at the time of the 2025 cancellation, the venue asserted that Simon had expressed views online that “align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations”.In response to the cancellation at the time, Simon publicly addressed the decision on social media, expressing shock that a performer could be dropped simply for being Jewish while advocating for peace and the release of hostages.Maintaining that he was targeted due to his Jewish background…