Watch: Banksy’s migrant boat sails across Glastonbury crowd
Banksy at Glastonbury - X/MrCarb1
An inflatable boat that surfed through the crowd at a Glastonbury gig on Friday night was designed by Banksy, it has been confirmed.
The black dinghy, meant to look like a small boat used to cross the Channel, was launched into the enormous crowd that came out to see British rock group Idles play at the Other Stage at around 10pm.
Members of the audience could be seen sitting on each other’s shoulders to get a better look at the boat which was passed around the middle of the crowd.
On it were at least seven dummies meant to represent migrants, all in orange high-vis life jackets who sat atop it with their hoods up or their heads down. One small figure in a grey sweatshirt at the end appeared to represent a child.
It was launched during the song Danny Nedelko, which opens with the lyrics:
“My blood brother is an immigrant
“A beautiful immigrant.”
Idles, from Bristol – also home to Banksy – have said that they were unaware the stunt would happen, although many fans assumed it to be part of their act.
Members of the audience could be seen sitting on each other's shoulders to get a better look at the boat - X/MrCarb1
The rock band took a political turn with its performance, leading the crowd with chants of “f— the King” and with vocalist Joe Talbot singing an “anti-Farage song”.
It is not the first time that Banksy’s work has made an appearance at Glastonbury.
In 2019 he designed the stab-proof vest worn by Stormzy at his Pyramid stage headline set, and in 2014 he set a farm animal van loose around the site that dropped soft toys to revellers.
It is the latest in a series of stunts themed around migration this year. The Terminal 1 art installation which replaces the old William Green stage is meant as a reference to the Government’s Rwanda deportation policy and other strict anti-immigration measures.
Visitors to the site – which hosts live sets from performers from Notting Hill and Bristol’s St Paul’s carnivals, as well as art by Turner prize winner Mark Wallinger – have to answer a question from the British citizenship test to get in.
Banksy has long been vocal on migration issues, donating money made from his artwork in 2019 to German activist Pia Klemp, who captains NGO rescue ships.
He previously designed a small sculpture in a baking tray depicting migrants crammed into a small boat, again with their hoods up and heads down.
The piece, called Dream Boat, was displayed at a pop-up shortly before Christmas in 2018, before it was raffled off to raise funds for a charity.
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