Authorities are investigating the statements made by a punk band at their performance at Glastonbury on Saturday. The Labour government has expressed strong disapproval of the live broadcast of the band’s actions on the BBC.
Bob Vylan, a punk duo comprising singer and guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, incited the audience to chant ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Death to the IDF’ during their set on Saturday afternoon. This sparked outrage among Israel supporters on various social media platforms.
The band from England was featured in a live stream by the BBC, just before the performance of Irish rap group Kneecap. The BBC made the decision not to air Kneecap’s performance live due to previous controversies, including one member facing charges related to a terrorist offense.
Bob Vylan’s performance can now no longer be rewatched on BBC iPlayer as coverage of the West Holts stage at Glastonbury only goes back to around 5pm.
In response, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has demanded an ‘urgent explanation’ from Tim Davie, the BBC’s Director General.
A government spokesperson said: ‘We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
‘The Culture Secretary has spoken to the BBC Director General to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer.’
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.’
The Glastonbury crowd was led in chants of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Death to the IDF’ by act Bob Vylan on Saturday, prompting fury from supporters of Israel on social media
The English punk duo were performing directly before Irish language rap trio Kneecap
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that officers will assess video evidence of the performance ‘to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation’
In a post on X, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that officers will assess video evidence of the performance ‘to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation’.
The Embassy of Israel in the UK said they were ‘deeply disturbed’ by the ‘inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at Glastonbury’.
In a statement on X, a spokesperson for the embassy wrote: ‘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.
‘Chants such as “Death to the IDF,” and “From the river to the sea” are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination.
‘When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.’
The embassy urged Glastonbury Festival organisers, artists, and public leaders in the UK ‘to denounce this rhetoric and reject of all forms of hatred’.
Bob Vylan’s performance has left many in the Jewish community distraught, with a mother of-two from north London exclusively revealing to MailOnline that she has been left ‘absolutely horrified’.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was first shown Bob Vylan’s performance by her teenage son, who had come across clips of the chanting at Glastonbury on TikTok.
Bob Vylan performs at Glastonbury on Saturday afternoon
The English group was streamed live by the BBC, unlike controversial Irish band Kneecap
Bob Vylan crowd surfs during the festival held in Somerset
‘How do you explain to your teenager that there’s an event with thousands of people, his age or around his age, his generation, who are jumping up and down screaming for the genocide of Jewish people?’ she told MailOnline.
‘How do you explain to him that that’s happening in this country right now in 2025 and that this isn’t some sort of Hitler documentary?’
The woman, who is in her 40s, was one step ahead of the Labour government in calling for the BBC to issue an ‘urgent explanation’.
‘I say to the BBC, find your sense of responsibility,’ she said. ‘You’re supposed to be a national broadcaster. There needs to be a coming to their senses. There needs to be a very public apology for what happened.
‘I think the people who run Glastonbury. Michael and Emily Eavis need to make a very public statement of apology that they allow this to happen on their watch.’
In a comment to MailOnline, Glastonbury Festival said: ‘Glastonbury Festival does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers.’
The concerned mother-of-two also had a message for the bands Bob Vylan and Kneecap: ‘Shame on you! How dare you?
‘They should be banned by the way,’ she added. ‘Not only should there be an apology from the BBC and Glastonbury, those bands should not be given oxygen.’
The chants whipped up anger from some viewers at home
Additionally, the woman revealed to MailOnline that she has friends and family in Israel, some of whom are ‘fighting on the frontline’, said she no longer feels safe living in the UK.
‘I don’t know what has happened to this country, and I feel so sad and worried for my kids. I’ve lived here for almost 50 years and you know I’m a very proud Brit. My family have been here for like four generations,’ she said.
‘But now, this doesn’t look like a country where we have a future. I don’t think this is a country where I want to live – but I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of leaving.’
It comes as Kneecap has faced calls in recent months to be stripped from the festival line-up, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling their performance ‘not appropriate’.
Mo Chara, along with bandmates Naoise Ó Caireallain (Móglaí Bap), and JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí), have repeatedly argued controversy surrounding their performances is a distraction from the horrors endured by Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
They said they are happy to lose income and clout in order to be ‘on the right side of history’, and said they hoped that ‘being vocal and being unafraid’ would encourage other bands to speak up on Palestine.
Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, appeared in court last week after being charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying ‘up Hamas, up Hezbollah’ at a gig in November last year.
The BBC previously confirmed it would not livestream Kneecap’s performance but would likely upload an edited version on iPlayer later – but if it hoped to avoid controversy over the war in Gaza bosses will be disappointed.
The duo were seen crowdsurfing during their energetic performance on the West Holts stage
One of the Bob Vylans waves a Palestine flag during their Glastonbury set
The West Holts stage area was rammed with fans for Bob Vylan’s set, with Kneecap expected immediately afterwards
Another message which flashed up behind the punk duo read ‘Bob Vylan is killing punk rock’
In the act just before Kneecap, singer/guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, who founded their band in 2017 in Ipswich, flashed up a large message in support of Palestinians while their set was being broadcast live by the BBC.
The message read: ‘Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a “conflict”.’
They then led the huge crowd in chants of ‘Free Free Palestine’ and ‘Death Death to the IDF’.
Afterwards singer Bob Vylan told fans: ‘From the river to the sea Palestine must be, will be, free.’
Although met by raucous cheers and applause from the audience, the chant also sparked fury from some online.
One person said: ‘A shame he doesn’t feel so strongly about the terrorists who killed music festivalgoers on Oct 7th.’
A second added: ‘Isn’t it supposed to be a music content?’ while a third described the band as ‘incredibly cringe’ and accused them of ‘jumping on the bandwagon’.
The current war in Gaza was triggered by an attack by terrorist organisation Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 in which some 1,200 people were killed and took more than 251 people hostage.
Bobby Vylan and Bobbie vylan pose on stage as their set drew to an end
In the act just before Kneecap, singer/guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, who founded their band in 2017 in Ipswich, flashed up a large message in support of Palestinians while their set was being broadcast live by the BBC
Performing on stage earlier, singer Bob Vylan was open about his and his bandmate’s support for Palestinians
Many people in the crowd gathered for Bob Vylan’s performance waved Palestinian flags in a show of support with people in Gaza
In response Israel launched a full-scale invasion of the Gaza strip which has lasted almost two years and has led to the deaths of at least 56,412 people, many children and civilians.
The United Nations has said Israel’s actions, which include severely limited vital aid such as food, water and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip and raiding or bombing hospitals as ‘consistent with the characteristics of Genocide’.
An international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been issued by the International Criminal Court.
Israel denies it is committing genocide and claims there is no food shortage for the two million Gazans who live in the strip, something that is widely disputed by aid organisations and international bodies, which have warned thousands of babies are at risk of dying of famine.
Performing on stage earlier, singer Bob Vylan was open about his and his bandmate’s support for Palestinians.
He said: ‘Recently a list was released of people trying to stop our mates Kneecap from performing here today. And who do I see on that f***ing list, but that bald-headed c*** I used to f***ing work for.’
Vylan had been speaking about a colleague at a record company he used to work at. His words were met with loud boos from the crowd.
He continued: ‘So look, we have done it all, from working in bars to working or f***ing Zionists.
‘So if we can do this, you can do absolutely anything that you put your mind to I’m telling you this.
‘Don’t give up on your dreams, and if you’ve got to go to that s***ty job to pay your bills and pay your rent you do what you’ve got to do to survive in this world.’
Later during a break between songs, the singer said: ‘We’re seeing some f***ed up things in the world. We’re seeing the UK and the US be complicit in war crimes and genocide happening over there to the Palestinian people.
‘And I know we’re on the BBC, we’re not going to say anything crazy. Leave that for them lads, you know what I mean.
‘But unfortunately we have seen a strange reaction to people that come out and voice support for Palestine. Even though anybody with any moral compass can surely see that what is happening over there in Gaza is a tragedy.
‘We are not pacifist punks here over at Bob Vylan Enterprises. We are the violent punks, because sometimes, you have to get your message across with violence because that is the only language some people speak.’
