Five British tourists were arrested over the weekend on the Greek island of Corfu after being filmed pole dancing outside the Palace of St. Michael and St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Footage published by Greek and British media showed two women in provocative red lingerie balancing themselves on a pole. In another video, a dancer wearing a revealing black bodysuit is seen performing while being cheered on by another woman.
The women, accused of violating Greece’s archaeological laws and damaging the site and its surroundings, expressed regret for their actions. According to reports, they did not understand the severity of their actions until the videos went viral.
The Greek television channel ANT1 reported that the Corfu Municipality and the Asian Art Museum, which is housed in the palace, filed a complaint against those involved. Konstantinos Vassolinos, Corfu’s deputy mayor for Culture, expressed outrage. “This is a registered historical monument. No request was made to perform a dance, and there was no possibility of granting such permission,” he said.
The incident was widely condemned on social media. One user wrote on Facebook: “This palace once hosted royalty — now there’s pole dancing.” Another added: “If Lord Byron had seen this, he would have returned to England without looking back.” A third commenter angrily remarked: “Would they have done this at Buckingham Palace? Of course not. Here in Europe, we’ve been treated as second-class for years—when it comes to vacations and parties.”
According to the British newspaper The Sun, the group of women had been visiting Corfu, as they had in previous years, to participate in various dance events. Local media reported that a British pole dancing school was behind the incident. ANT1 stated that the school organizes an annual vacation in Corfu, including intensive pole dancing seminars during the last two weeks of May.
The lawyer representing the women claimed they were a group of tourists and athletes, and the photos were taken for personal use only. He acknowledged that a professional photographer was present, but emphasized that the images belonged to the participants and had no commercial purpose. “There was no pole dancing, only athletic poses,” he clarified.
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He also explained that the equipment used for the shoot was portable, with a particularly large and heavy base. The lawyer added that similar activities had taken place at the palace the previous week without causing any issues. “The women couldn’t have known that permission was required, as they relied on the photographer’s assurance that there would be no problem,” he said.
The Palace of St. Michael and St. George, where the provocative photos were taken, was built in the early 19th century at the request of British High Commissioner Sir Thomas Maitland. It is one of the best-preserved examples of Regency architecture outside Britain and now houses the Asian Art Museum.