Edinburgh Fringe venue admits to discrimination and 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 and personal views rather than any valid operational reason, Simon subsequently decided to take formal legal action against the venue, filing a claim alleging religious discrimination under the Equalities Act.

Owner concedes liability

The legal breakthrough occurred on Monday during an Edinburgh Sheriff Court hearing, where the venue owner, Morrison Bros Ltd, operating The Banshee Labyrinth, conceded liability on the eve of trial.

David Welsh, representing Simon as his legal counsel, informed the court that “the defender conceded that the defender discriminated against the pursuer, contrary to the provisions of the Equalities Act,” as reported by Chortle and the BBC.

Sheriff Roderick Flinn noted during the proceedings that the venue had acted unreasonably by delaying the concession until August 5.

'Fighting against performers being canceled for their religion'

Commenting on the outcome in a statement published on Instagram on Monday, Simon stated, “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.”

Simon 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. It is about speaking up about how it is deemed acceptable to treat Jewish comedians and artists in a way that wouldn’t be tolerated if it was any other race or religion.”

Speaking in an interview with LBC News on Monday, Simon elaborated on the ordeal, stating that “this venue looked at my social media and decided my politics didn’t align with theirs,” and noted that “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.”

Simon also shared the broader impact on his career, telling LBC that “I feel like I’ve lost my August home,” and explained that he had performed at a welcoming venue for three or four years in a row, but now felt that “there’s now an entire street in Edinburgh I just don’t feel safe walking down.”