On December 8, 2025, the iconic London music venue Roundhouse became the center of a heated controversy after the rock band Primal Scream displayed images during their concert that have been widely condemned as antisemitic. The incident, which took place during the group’s 25-year anniversary show for their album XTRMNTR, has sparked outrage across the UK, prompting police involvement, public apologies, and a fierce debate about the boundaries of artistic expression.
According to multiple reports, including coverage by BBC and Metro, the contentious imagery appeared on a large screen behind the band as they performed their 2000 song “Swastika Eyes.” The video sequence included scenes of destruction in Gaza, followed by the Star of David—an emblem of Judaism—merged with a swastika, the notorious symbol of Nazi Germany. The display didn’t stop there: images of several political figures, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, and Javier Milei, were shown with the intertwined Star of David and swastika spinning in their eyes. The segment concluded with stark phrases like “Our Government is complicit in genocide,” “stop genocide,” and “free Palestine.”
The reaction from the Jewish community and advocacy groups was swift and severe. The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity dedicated to protecting Jewish communities in the UK, reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police and called for an urgent investigation by both the venue and the concert’s promoter. In a statement cited by BBC and Metro, a CST spokesperson said: “Entwining a Star of David with a swastika implies that Jews are Nazis and risks encouraging hatred of Jews.” The group emphasized the dangerous historical precedent of such imagery, warning that it could incite further hatred and violence against Jewish communities.
Alex Hearn, director of Labour Against Antisemitism, was even more direct in his condemnation, telling the Mail: “It takes the symbol under which Jews were murdered and uses it to incite more hatred against Jews, casting Jewish symbols as representations of evil itself. This isn’t protest art; it’s dehumanizing propaganda that has historically preceded violence against Jewish communities. That this can happen at a public concert shows how deeply we’ve been failed. Police and CPS inaction has normalized what should be prosecuted as racial hatred.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism echoed these sentiments, calling the imagery “absolutely sickening and totally inexcusable.” In a statement provided to The Telegraph and cited by BBC, the group said: “The Nazi swastika represents the ideology that inspired people to industrially slaughter six million innocent Jewish men, women and children by bullet, gas and any other means available. To visually combine that with the Star of David—the pre-eminent symbol of Judaism—is absolutely sickening and totally inexcusable. This isn’t art. This isn’t edgy. This isn’t political statement. It is unadulterated hatred, and a clear breach of the international definition of antisemitism. Racism should have no place in the arts, but depressingly, it is finding a very welcoming home there.” The organization announced its legal team was examining the footage to consider further steps.
The Roundhouse, caught in the crossfire, responded quickly with a public statement on December 12, 2025. The venue’s spokesperson expressed deep regret for the incident, stating: “We are appalled that antisemitic imagery was displayed during a Primal Scream gig on Monday December 8 at the Roundhouse. We deeply regret that these highly offensive images were presented on our stage and unequivocally apologise to anyone who attended the gig, and to the wider Jewish community. The content, which was used entirely without our knowledge, stands against all of our values. Our organisation absolutely condemns antisemitism in every form. Acts of hatred, discrimination or prejudice of any kind are entirely unacceptable and have no place in our community or spaces. The safety of our staff and gig-going audiences remains of paramount importance to us. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and remain committed to ensuring that our spaces are places where everyone feels secure, respected and valued.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed receipt of the report from CST on December 10 and told Metro and BBC that the incident “is being assessed by officers” to determine whether an offense was committed. The investigation remains ongoing, with both law enforcement and advocacy groups scrutinizing the circumstances that led to the display of such provocative images at a public event.
Primal Scream, a band formed in Glasgow in the 1980s and currently made up of Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes, Simone Butler, and Darrin Mooney, responded to the backlash with a statement posted on Instagram. The band defended their use of the imagery, saying: “The film is a piece of art. It clearly draws from history to question where the actions of current world governments sit in that context. It is meant to provoke debate, not hate. In a free, pluralistic and liberal society freedom of expression is a right which we choose to exercise.” The band stopped short of issuing an apology, instead framing their actions as an exercise of artistic freedom and a catalyst for discussion about political issues.
This defense did little to assuage critics. A representative for the Antisemitism Policy Trust told Metro: “Combining the swastika and the Star of David will be seen by many as comparing Jews to Nazis, and as an offensive act as it is sinister. The band should apologise to their fans and the wider Jewish community whom they have let down. The Roundhouse and promoter of the concert need to investigate and ensure things like this never happen again.”
The controversy has reignited broader debates about the limits of artistic expression, especially when it comes to symbols with such charged historical and cultural significance. The swastika, once an ancient symbol, is now inextricably linked to the horrors of the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews. The Star of David, for its part, is the most recognizable symbol of Jewish identity and faith. The act of merging the two—no matter the intended message—has been widely interpreted as equating Jews with Nazis, a comparison that many consider not only offensive but dangerous.
As the investigation continues, the incident has left a mark on the UK’s cultural and political landscape, serving as a stark reminder of the sensitivities surrounding antisemitism and the responsibilities of artists and venues alike. The responses from Primal Scream, the Roundhouse, and advocacy groups reflect the complexity of balancing freedom of expression with respect for historical trauma and communal safety. For many, the events at the Roundhouse were not just an isolated controversy, but a call to vigilance against all forms of hatred—on the stage and beyond.
