Keir Starmer slams Bob Vylan for “appalling hate speech” at Glastonbury
Bob Vylan performed at Glastonbury Festival on June 28th and led chants that include “free Palestine” and “death to the IDF”. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has responded to the performance by condemning their words on stage.
Starmer criticised the chants after disapproving of Kneecap’s appearance at the festival. Frontman Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence in May.
“There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,” Starmer said in his statement. “I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform, and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”
The prime minister’s comments arrive after Glastonbury Festival condemned Vylan’s actions. Avon and Somerset Police said they would “determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation” after assessing video evidence.
In a social media post, the festival wrote, “Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavour. As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in—and actively campaign for—hope, unity, peace and love.
“With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer’s presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs.”
They added, “However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
Vylan’s set won’t be available on BBC iPlayer. A spokesperson for the BBC stated that some of the comments were “deeply offensive” after displaying a “very strong and discriminatory language” warning on screen.
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