Glastonbury Organizers ‘Appalled’ by Bob Vylan’s Chants After Set Sparks Controversy: ‘There Is No Place for Antisemitism, Hate Speech or Incitement to Violence’
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Glastonbury Organizers “Appalled” by Bob Vylan Chants: “There Is No Place for Antisemitism”
Emily Eavis, youngest daughter of Glastonbury Festival co-founder Michael Eavis has condemned anti-IDF chants made by performer Bob Vylan. The rap duo have come under fire for encouraging audiences at the event in Somerset, England, to join in on shouting “death to the IDF’ [the Israel Defense Forces] during their set on Saturday. Irish rap trio Kneecap voiced their pro-Palestine views and used the platform to criticize the U.K. and U.S. governments.
The rap duo have come under fire for encouraging audiences at the event in Somerset, England, to join in on shouting “death to the IDF” [the Israel Defense Forces] during their set on the West Holts stage on Saturday.
Eavis, the youngest daughter of Glastonbury Festival co-founder Michael Eavis, posted to Instagram on Sunday to say that the team are “appalled” by the band’s behavior.
“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,” she wrote.
Eavis continued: “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”, adding a performer’s comments “should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs… 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.”
Bob Vylan aren’t the only act to draw attention to the war in Gaza. At the same stage on Saturday, Irish rap trio Kneecap voiced their pro-Palestine views and used the platform to criticize the U.K. and U.S. governments, as well as the U.S. media.
They thanked the Eavis family for allowing them to play despite pushback from U.K. politicians, including Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “A big thank you to the Eavis family,” Kneecap said. “The pressure that that family was under and they stood strong. Fair play to them.”
In May, the Met Police said it would investigate after online videos showed the band calling for the death of British parliament ministers, as well as chanting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” It is illegal in the U.K. to express support for Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim political and military group in Lebanon, as it is considered a terrorist organization in Britain.
Glastonbury Festival runs Jun. 25-29.
Glastonbury Bosses ‘Appalled’ by Bob Vylan’s ‘Death to IDF’ Chant at Festival
Bob Vylan led crowds on the West Holts Stage in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and: “Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence League]” Glastonbury organizers said they were “appalled” by the comments. Police are also assessing the footage of their set to see if any offences have been committed. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC Director General Tim Davie “to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance” The BBC confirmed that the set will not be available to watch on demand. The festival faced pressure from figures including Keir Starmer to cancel the performance after the band’s Liam O hAnnaidh was charged with a terror offence.
Rapper Bobby Vylan of the group led crowds on the West Holts Stage in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and: “Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence League]”.
Responding in a statement shared to social media by festival boss Emily Eavis, organizers said they were “appalled” by the comments.
“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,” a statement read.
“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.
“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.”
A similar statement was issued by the BBC as they confirmed that the set will not be available to watch on demand.
“Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive,” they said. “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.”
Police are also assessing the footage of their set to see if any offences have been committed, while The Independent reports that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC Director General Tim Davie “to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance”.
Bob Vylan were performing shortly before Kneecap, who delivered one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend. The festival had faced pressure from figures including Keir Starmer to cancel the performance after the band’s Liam O hAnnaidh was charged with a terror offence after it was alleged that he unfurled a Hezbollah flag and said “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town late last year. Trending Stories Republicans Keep Making Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Worse Marilyn Manson’s U.K. Tour Opener Show Canceled Amid Protests From Officials and Online J.D. Vance Thinks Black Lives Matter Should ‘Celebrate’ Trump ‘The Bear’ Season 4 Finale Leaves Us With Plenty to Chew On
Bob Vylan are comment to respond to Glastonbury’s comments.
This story was originally published by Rolling Stone UK.
Glastonbury LIVE updates: Rod Stewart on stage in hours after Kate Nash’s bitter swipes
Kate lashed out at a number of people at Glastonbury on Saturday. Among those she let rip at included JK Rowling, Rod Stewart, Denise Welch, Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage. The Foundations hitmaker appeared to slam Harry Potter author Rowling on stage. She told the audience: “The loudest feminist voice in the UK is currently transphobic and that is something that I take very f****** personally, as a feminist and a feminist with trans friends in my life, trans people that I love”
Kate Nash lets rip at Rod Stewart, Denise Welch… and others
Singer Kate Nash lashed out at a number of people on Saturday evening in a series of brutal jabs.
Among those she let rip at included JK Rowling, Rod Stewart, Denise Welch, Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage – an eclectic bunch!
The Foundations hitmaker, who was headlining the Left Field tent at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday night, appeared to slam Harry Potter author Rowling on stage.
She told the audience: “The loudest feminist voice in the UK is currently transphobic and that is something that I take very f****** personally, as a feminist and a feminist with trans friends in my life, trans people that I love and that are very important to me.
“Dismantling systems of oppression lies at the very core of feminism, so transphobia is not f****** feminist. And just because you’re a f******* millionaire and a f****** bully with an army of trolls on the f****** internet.
“I don’t give a f*** mate. I don’t give a s*** about the hundreds, if not thousands of comments, that I’ve been receiving from trolls since I penned my essay, released it into a song. It’s called Germ.”
Laying into music bosses next – and Denise Welch, who was at the festival supporting her son Matty Healy’s band The 1975 – Kate continued: “The music industry doesn’t know what to do with me. They tried to get rid of me, but they didn’t. There is a record executive sweating their t*** off with Matt Healy’s mum.
“They’re scared of me. I like that. But I was made of mother f****** Bricks. But they didn’t believe me. I even gave them a second warning a few years later when I told them ‘Do not underestimate the girl’. Is it my fault they didn’t believe me?
“I’m not going to give my third warning. It’s too late for that. I’m taking my bricks and I’m throwing them through the f****** window.”
Launching into her song D***head, she said: “F*** Rod Stewart. This one [Why You Being A D****head For] goes out to Keir Starmer, JK Rowling, Rod Stewart and Nigel f****** Farage.” Last week Rod announced his support for Farage in an interview with the Times.
Glastonbury says chants by Bob Vylan ‘crossed the line’ as police assess footage
Glastonbury says chants by Bob Vylan ‘crossed the line’ as police assess footage. The performer Bobby Vylan led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “Death, death to the IDF” on Saturday. A member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans “start a riot” at his bandmate’s forthcoming court appearance. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its “outrageous decision” to broadcast the performance. Glastonbury and Emily Eavis said: “As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism” Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation” On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastbury Festival” and called the scenes “grotesque” and ‘grotesque’
The performer Bobby Vylan led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “Death, death to the IDF”
(Image: WireImage )
Glastonbury Festival has said chants by punk duo Bob Vylan have “crossed a line”, as footage from their set is assessed by the police.
The performer Bobby Vylan led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “Death, death to the IDF” on Saturday, before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans “start a riot” at his bandmate’s forthcoming court appearance.
A joint Instagram post from Glastonbury and Emily Eavis said: “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.
“However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday.
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“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.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said chants of “death” to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at Glastonbury were “appalling” and that the BBC and festival have “questions to answer”.
As police examine videos of their comments, Mr Streeting told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I thought it’s appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens.”
He said what people should be talking about in the context of Israel and Gaza is the humanitarian catastrophe and the fact that Israeli settlers attacked a Christian village this week.
He added: “The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival, when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive, whether it’s a Palestinian or an Israeli, whether it’s a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim, all life is precious.
“All life is sacred. And I find it pretty revolting we’ve got to a state in this conflict where you’re supposed to sort of cheer on one side or the other like it’s a football team.”
Asked if the BBC should have cut the live feed, he said the broadcaster has questions to answer, but that he did not know what the editorial and operational “challenges” are of taking such action.
Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation”.
On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes “grotesque”, writing on X: “Glorifying violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its “outrageous decision” to broadcast Bob Vylan.
A spokesperson said: “Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions.”
A BBC spokesperson added: “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.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan’s performance, a Government spokesperson said.
Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums with their music addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class.
Kneecap, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence.
The group performed after Vylan’s set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming “Glastonbury, I’m a free man” as they took to the stage.
In reference to his bandmate’s forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine”.
In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be “appropriate”.
During the performance, Caireallain said: “The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.”
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He also said a “big thank you to the Eavis family” and said “they stood strong” amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up.
Ipswich formed Bob Vylan spark controversy at Glastonbury
Bobby Vylan led crowd in chants of ‘death, death to the IDF’ during set. Police say they are reviewing footage of performances on the Holts Stage. Glastonbury Festival said the chants crossed a line. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting described the chants as ‘appalling’ He said BBC and festival have ‘questions to answer’ over them. The band was formed in Ipswich in 2017 with singer and guitarist Bobby partly growing up in the town and recently describing himself as a Chantry ‘council estate kid’
During the set, performer Bobby led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “death, death to the IDF”.
Somerset Police said it would review footage of comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage.
They added: “Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
The band was formed in Ipswich in 2017 with singer and guitarist Bobby partly growing up in the town and recently describing himself as a Chantry “council estate kid”.
Alongside drummer Bobbie, who hails from east London, the pair recently headlined Brighten the Corners Festival in Ipswich on June 16.
The rapper has been criticised for leading the crowd in chants of death, death to the IDF. (Image: Yui Mok/PA) They use stage names to maintain their privacy and are well known for creating politically driven music.
Glastonbury Festival said the chants crossed a line. (Image: Yui Mok/PA) A post on Instagram by Glastonbury Festival said: “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.
“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.”
Police say they are reviewing footage of performances on the Holts Stage. (Image: Ben Birchall/PA)
Wes Streeting described the chants as appalling. (Image: Lucy North/PA) As police examine videos of their comments, Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said chants of “death” to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at Glastonbury were “appalling” and that the BBC and festival have “questions to answer”.
He added: “The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival, when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive, whether it’s a Palestinian or an Israeli, whether it’s a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim, all life is precious.”