Pro-Palestinian protest prompts scuffle onstage at Royal Opera House in London

A performer holding a Palestinian flag touched off a brief scuffle on stage at the Royal Opera House in London as cast members were taking their bows following the season's final performance of “Il Trovatore”.

Images posted on social media show what appears to be a member of the chorus holding the unfurled flag in front of his chest while the lead singers bask in the audience's applause on Saturday night.

After a few moments, someone backstage tries to grab the flag, but the performer holds onto it and snaps back into place.

“The display of the flag was an unauthorised action by the artist,” the opera company said in a statement on Sunday. “It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is a wholly inappropriate act.”

WHO IS THIS GUY HE IS A HERO….⁉️

Royal Opera House for Il Trovatore, a performer took the opportunity to show solidarity with the Palestinian people experiencing genocide in Gaza👏🏼

Theatre's director, Oliver Mears, failed to snatch the flag.

THIS MADE MY DAY✊🏼🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/7XJncmMgLM

— Earth Hippy 🌎🕊️💚 (@hippyygoat) July 20, 2025

The opera company declined to comment when asked whether the performer would face any disciplinary action.

“Il Trovatore,” which translates as “The Troubadour,” is an 1853 opera by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Director Adele Thomas' production reinterprets the story of desire and an all-consuming curse, the opera said.