Banksy has reportedly been revealed as the mind behind the blow-up boat filled with migrant dummies that appeared in the crowd at Glastonbury on Friday night.
The stunt, which took place during Idles’ late-night set at the Somerset-based festival, saw an inflatable life raft filled with models wearing lifejackets – representing migrants – suddenly launched into the audience.
People initially presumed it was part of the Bristol rock band’s performance as it appeared during a song with lyrics that plead for empathy for the plight of immigrants and criticise the government.
However, a representative for the group confirmed on Saturday that the boat had been created by anonymous street and performance artist Banksy.
Furthermore, Idles were unaware of the stunt until after the conclusion of their headline set on the Other Stage, according to The Guardian.
As Idles’ launched into Danny Nedelko, and the boat was released, frontman Joe Talbot began singing: ‘My blood brother is an immigrant, a beautiful immigrant. My blood brother’s Freddie Mercury, a Nigerian mother of three. He’s made of bones, he’s made of blood. He’s made of flesh, he’s made of love.
‘He’s made of you, he’s made of me. Unity. Fear leads to panic, panic leads to pain. Pain leads to anger, anger leads to hate.’
In an impassioned set, which had already seen the band call for a ceasefire in Palestine and included Talbot leading the crowd in a chant of ‘f**k the King’, Danny Nedelko was called an ‘anti-Farage’ song by the frontman, although Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also pushed to end boats sailing to the UK with his Rwanda policy.
The scenes were broadcast live on the BBC and, contrary to reports, the boat can still be seen in the highlights coverage of the set available on BBC iPlayer.
The move proved divisive with fans at home, with Simon Geraghty on X congratulating Banksy for a ‘brilliant piece of agit prop’, while @Nullen80 linked to the coverage and added: ‘You’ve gotta love Banksy.’
Angie Moxham also praised the artist for ‘never let[ing] us down’.
However, it also kicked up controversy with others labelling it ‘a big, clunky political art misstep’.
‘[It] takes a huge issue where our disinterest and othering costs human lives every day… turns it into something to literally throw around to a rock band,’ complained CJ Thorpe-Tracey.
‘Likely not one person in that crowd, at that moment, had any context of the Banksy boat or the lyrics. And quite frankly, I find a bunch of alcohol and drug fuelled people crowdsurfing a depiction of desperate refugees in a lifeboat, so ignorantly and jovially, rather repugnant,’ posted @Aimz_1987.
However, a respectful exchange saw @userfriendlylad play self-declared devil’s advocate, pointing out: ‘All Idles fans know that song and understand it’s pro-immigration so I think they will have fully understood the point being made (however clumsily).’
Although Idles might not have been aware of it ahead of time, they clocked the boat during the set, with Talbot telling bandmember Mark Bowen as he crowdsurfed: ‘Make sure you go to that f**king raft so they get it on the TV.’
It’s not the first time Banksy – also from Bristol – has been involved with Glastonbury. Back in 2019, he designed Stormzy’s Union Jack-emblazoned stab-proof vest that he wore for his headline set on the Pyramid Stage.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Banksy and Idles for comment.
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