The O2 in London has issued an apology for confiscating Palestine shirts from two women at a Lorde show last weekend.

As reported by The Guardian, Francesca Humi and Chloe Grace Laws, both 30 years old, separately attended the Kiwi singer’s concert at the arena last Sunday (November 16).

The pair were each stopped by venue security and told they would have to take off their FC Palestina football shirts – which displayed the word “Palestine” – or face being ejected from the gig.

Staff at The O2 claimed it was against policy to wear garments bearing the names, flags or emblems of individual countries, arguing that it could offend other attendees.

Writing about the “really shocking” experience on Instagram, Humi recalled how security had told her that her T-shirt was “harmful and offensive”.

“Two security staff explained to us the O2 does not allow any country or football kit to be worn inside,” she continued. “We pushed back on this and I asked whether they would ask someone to remove a tshirt with a Union Jack on it and they said they would. Meanwhile, we saw multiple football/national themed shirts in the crowd.

“Because I wouldn’t remove my top and they wouldn’t allow me to keep it in my bag, they called in a security manager who told me I needed to remove the tshirt or I would be ‘ejected’ from the venue.

According to Humi, she was later “escorted to an area by the entrance where they confiscate ‘dangerous’ items for me to check in my tshirt”.

“The security manager told us he was Palestinian. Most of the security staff at the O2 were black and brown,” she added. “It felt disgusting that people from communities that are disproportionately subject to surveillance, racism, and criminalisation are the ones who have to enforce such a stupid and unfair policy.”

Laws said she had been escorted to the cloakroom by a young security guard who was sympathetic to her situation. He reportedly told her that Israeli flags had been banned at a show by Haim – who are Jewish – at the venue on October 28.

A spokesperson for The O2 explained that the arena does not have a policy that prohibits “any specific items of clothing, including those that display or highlight social causes, religion, political or nationality”.

They said there were occasional exceptions for sports team clothing at certain events as a risk-control measure. Although event organisers may impose extra restrictions at their discretion, Lorde’s two concerts at the venue this month were not subject to any such measures, they claimed.

“We don’t get every decision right, all of the time, and regrettably on this occasion, the wrong judgment call was made in relation to two individuals. This was the result of a misinterpretation of the policies that we have in place and our escalation procedures were not followed correctly,” the spokesperson said. “For that, we sincerely apologise.”

Following the incident, The O2 assured that it would review procedures and training to stop something similar from happening again.

However, it is reported that the statement – which includes a review of policies and procedures – almost exactly mirrors the one issued this summer, after a fan attending a Peter Kay show was refused entry for wearing a ‘Free Gaza’ shirt. At the time, The O2 said it was reviewing its policies.

Steve Sayer, senior vice president and general manager of The O2, apologised to both Laws and Humi. He offered to reimburse their tickets and expenses for the night, and invited them to another show at the arena free of charge. Humi said that she would donate any reimbursement to an organisation supporting Palestine.

NME‘s four-star review of Lorde’s show on November 16 noted that the pop artist “subtly nods to Palestine during ‘Team’” with “the stage lights turning green, white and red”. Afterwards, she told the crowd: “We are a network of bodies. Don’t forget it now.”

Lorde has shouted “Free Palestine” at previous shows, too. Elsewhere, the artist has spoken about seeing ‘Team’ being covered by the Palestinian-Canadian singer Nemah Hasan. She is also among the acts to have joined the ‘No Music For Genocide’ campaign, by blocking her music from being streamed in Israel.

Humi explained that her grandfather was a Jewish refugee from Austria, and had “fled after Anschluss and made his way to British-occupied Palestine”.

She went on: “He enlisted in the British army there and then, and that’s how he survived the second world war. That makes me so emotional, that my Jewish grandfather could find safety in Palestine even though it was occupied. I hate the way that the conversation on anti-Zionism is being weaponised as antisemitism.”

Lorde is currently on the UK and Ireland leg of her ‘Ultrasound’ world tour in support of her fourth album, ‘Virgin’. At her first O2 gig last weekend, she was joined onstage by Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink for ‘Green Light’.

Earlier this week, the pop star was announced as a headliner for All Points East 2026 in London. The line-up also includes PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson and more as support.