Venue admits discrimination
The Banshee Labyrinth, an Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue, has admitted to discriminating against Jewish comedian Philip Simon by canceling his show last year, according to reports from Chortle magazine and the BBC, as cited by the Jerusalem Post.
The admission came during a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, where the venue's owner, Morrison Bros Ltd, conceded liability on the eve of trial. David Welsh, Simon's legal counsel, told the court that "the defender conceded that the defender discriminated against the pursuer, contrary to the provisions of the Equalities Act."
Simon had filed a lawsuit against the venue, alleging religious discrimination under the Equalities Act. He had been due to perform a solo show at the Banshee called "Shall I Compere Thee In A Funny Way" as part of the Fringe Festival.
Background to the cancellation
The cancellation happened after venue staff reviewed Simon's social media activity concerning the Gaza conflict. In a statement given to Chortle at the time of the July 2025 cancellation, the venue said Simon had expressed opinions that "align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations."
Simon, however, said he had been deplatformed for being Jewish. He wrote on Facebook: "I have never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages and finding a way for peace."
Court proceedings
Sheriff Roderick Flinn noted during the proceedings that the venue had acted unreasonably by delaying the concession until August 5. He said he would award damages at a later date, according to Chortle, as reported by the New York Post.
Simon's response
Following the ruling, Simon stated on Instagram: "Following today's ruling in court, I'm pleased Banshee Labyrinth have eventually admitted they discriminated against me and that this draws a line under part of a stressful ordeal that I've endured for over a year now."
He added: "For me this has never been about money. It has been about fighting against the idea that a performer can be canceled because of their religion."
In an interview with LBC News, Simon said, "this venue looked at my social media and decided my politics didn't align with theirs" and "they didn't look at anyone else's social media, they just looked at mine because I'm Jewish and they didn't like what they saw."
He also shared the personal impact, saying he felt he'd lost his August home and that there was now an entire street in Edinburgh he didn't feel safe walking down.