Police probe launched into Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance after “Death to the IDF” and “Free Palestine” chants
Police have launched a probe into the statements made by punk duo Bob Vylan during their afternoon set at the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday.
The band, consisting of singer and guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, played the slot immediately preceding Irish band Kneecap. Mo Chara, a member of Kneecap, is currently on unconditional bail amid a terror charge he faced after footage was found of a pro-Palestine display from 2024, where he can be heard shouting, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” on stage.
Because of the timing of the set, Vylan faced a sea of Palestine flags, and festival goers charged with energy. Though the BBC decided not to air Kneecap’s set live, a last-minute U-turn on what they had previously said, Bob Vylan’s set could be viewed on iPlayer as it happened.
During the performance, the frontman made several political statements in support of musicians who take a stand against “the genocide” and the “UK, US and Israel” complicity in it. He also slammed the BBC with statements displayed on the screen behind him, such as “The United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a conflict.”
The frontman also led the crowd through chants such as “Free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF.”
A government spokesperson said: ‘We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.” The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, also demanded an “urgent explanation” from Tim Davie, BBC’s Director General. Nandy also called for Kneecap ban before their set on Saturday, agreeing with Keir Starmer’s comments that it was “not appropriate.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive. During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand”.
Others have also weighed in: Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that officers will assess video evidence of the performance. They will “determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
The Embassy of Israel in the UK were also made aware of the performance, and stated that they were “deeply disturbed” by the “inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at Glastonbury”. Their spokesperson wrote on X: “Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. But when speech crosses into incitement, hatred, and advocacy of ethnic cleansing, it must be called out – especially when amplified by public figures on prominent platforms.”
After Bob Vylan’s performance, Kneecap served up a riotous and defiant set that directly targeted UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. At one point during the show, the band declared, “Fucking love the English people. It’s the English government we don’t like. We’re not far away from a Celtic republic. Fuck Keir starmer.” They then barrelled straight into a rendition of one of their earliest, and most divisive, singles, ‘Get Your Brits Out’.
Friday night at Glastonbury saw The 1975 headline the Pyramid Stage and Loyle Carner headline the Other Stage. On Saturday night, Charli XCX, Neil Young, Scissor Sisters and Doechii headlined each of the main stages. On Sunday, Olivia Rodrigo will close the weekend.
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