Whistle Binkies, a music venue in Edinburgh, has illegally cancelled two Jewish comedy acts due to perform at the Edinburgh Festival.  UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to the venue pointing out that these cancellations of Jewish acts breaches the Equality Act 2010 and is a racist move that echoes 1930s Nazi Germany.

Rachel Creeger is  a multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, writer and director, and the only orthodox Jewish woman on the mainstream UK comedy circuit. She was going to perform her “Ultimate Jewish Mother” show.  Philip Simon was due to host a Jew-O-Rama “showcase gig for Jewish comics”. Their performances were set to take place at Whistle Binkies during August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.

Creeger and Simon have performed at Whistle Binkies for many years during the Fringe festival and have now been banned from performing because they are Jewish.

UKLFI understands that this decision to boycott their shows followed objections from staff who had complained of feeling “unsafe”. Jewish news reported in an article published on 24 July 2025: “Jewish News understands that initially the venue told the Jewish comedians that staff had claimed that a “vigil” for IDF soldiers had been held during last year’s performances – a claim retracted by the venue after Creeger and Simon made it clear that this was inaccurate. It is believed that staff also complained about having to clean “free Palestine” graffiti off toilet doors, daubed by anti-Israel protesters.”

Creeger in response stated: “We have always found Whistlebinkies to be such a safe and welcoming environment, so we are shocked, deeply upset and disappointed by this decision.  We don’t recognise the complaints being made by the bar staff. No incidents occurred during our shows last year. We did not witness any targeted graffiti. We had no idea that there was a problem until we were told last Friday that our shows were no longer welcome. Sadly, this is part of an ongoing problem faced by Jewish performers in this country. We are being cancelled and often silently boycotted.”

 Simon added: “Our show is about fun and comedy, not geopolitics. It is disheartening to find out so late in the day that we have lost our venue … It is hurtful that instead of reassuring the young bar staff who raised concerns, the solution was to remove the Jews from the bill. This is emblematic of the problem facing Jewish artists and performers in the UK today.”

 Cancelling their shows because they are Jewish appears to be a clear breach of the Equality Act 2010.  The comedians are being discriminated against based on the protected characteristics of race, religion and belief.

In a recent report on antisemitism, Dame Penny Mordaunt wrote: “It is wrong that venues either choose to cancel Jewish artists due to direct antisemitism or feel they must do so because of others’ antisemitism and the costs of dealing with it. Is that the kind if society we want? Where bullies and vandals determine what performances we can view? No. Venues must take a stand, especially those in receipt of public funds.”

UKLFI has requested that Whistle Binkies reinstates both Creeger and Simon’s performances.

A UKLFI spokesperson said “We are horrified that Jewish acts are being cancelled on the basis of their race. This is classic antisemitism, even if it is dressed up as safety fears. We hope Whistle Binkies will reinstate the comedians.”