By: Fern Sidman

A storm of political and cultural controversy has engulfed the 2025 Glastonbury Festival following remarks by punk duo Bob Vylan that were widely condemned as incitement to violence and antisemitic hate speech. The comments, made during a performance on the West Holts stage Saturday afternoon, have drawn fierce criticism from UK government officials, Jewish organizations, and festival organizers alike, as reported on Sunday by The Guardian of the UK.

The incendiary moment came when Bobby Vylan, frontman of the London-based group, led a chant of “Death, death to the IDF” — a reference to the Israel Defense Forces — before a large crowd of festivalgoers. Declaring himself a “violent punk,” Vylan added, “Sometimes we have to get our message across with violence because that’s the only language some people speak, unfortunately.”

The performance, broadcast live by the BBC, was swiftly pulled from the broadcaster’s streaming platforms after complaints surfaced. A BBC spokesperson acknowledged the gravity of the issue, stating that elements of the performance were “deeply offensive.” According to the information provided in The Guardian of the UK report, BBC executives had already opted not to air a subsequent performance by Irish rap group Kneecap due to concerns it could breach impartiality guidelines — a decision that now appears prescient given the backlash.

Glastonbury Festival to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK Parliament in the coming weeks!

FUCK YOU, @BBC.#Glastonbury2025#GlastonburyFestival pic.twitter.com/xqF6dPngpp

— Rebel Scum (@endwimperialism) June 28, 2025

The controversy prompted Glastonbury’s lead organizer Emily Eavis to issue a rare and sharply worded statement. “We are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday,” Eavis declared. “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.”

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I’m fucking done, what a bunch of weird freaks. Imagine paying all that money to go to a woke, virtue-signalling shit fest which is exactly what #GlastonburyFestival is nowadays https://t.co/D9bAll5HbV pic.twitter.com/MuAqJUOiL7

— Chris Jordan 🐺 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@CJ_7171) June 27, 2025

Eavis reaffirmed the festival’s commitment to its founding values — “hope, unity, peace and love” — values that she emphasized must apply universally, regardless of political conviction or cultural grievance. As the report in The Guardian noted, Glastonbury’s reputation as a haven for artistic freedom and progressive activism has been strained in recent years by the intensification of geopolitical conflicts and their reflections on UK stages.

The performance has also triggered a police investigation. Avon and Somerset Constabulary confirmed they are reviewing footage of both Bob Vylan’s and Kneecap’s sets to determine whether any criminal offenses have occurred. The legal inquiry underscores the sensitivity of balancing free speech with prohibitions against incitement — a balance that The Guardian previously observed has become increasingly difficult to navigate amid the broader political climate.

To all the brainwashed idiots attending the #GlastonburyFestival waving Palestinian flags.
REMEMBER THIS.
On October 7th 2023 367 beautiful souls were murdered by Hamas at the Nova music festival in Isreal.
I’ll leave this here.. pic.twitter.com/2GzQxzML7H

— James 55 🩸 (@James5555883379) June 29, 2025

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted forcefully, telling The Telegraph that “there is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.” He reiterated his previous stance that Kneecap should not have been given a platform at all and extended that position to “any other performers making threats or inciting violence.” Starmer also demanded accountability from the BBC for allowing the content to be aired.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting echoed the sentiment, calling the chants “appalling” in remarks carried in The Guardian report. However, he struck a more nuanced tone when addressing the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While acknowledging the legitimacy of the Israeli embassy’s concerns about the Glastonbury performance, Streeting criticized the Israeli government’s conduct in the West Bank and urged it to take violence by Israeli settlers more seriously. “I think there’s a serious point there by the Israeli embassy I take seriously,” he said. “I wish they’d take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously.”

If you don’t approve of the disgusting antics of the idiots of #GlastonburyFestival then let the chief sponsors know that.

How much do @VodafoneUK @LandRover @nationalexpress @BrothersCider and @Barbour want their name associated with antisemitism and incitement to murder.

— Tony Homewood 🎗⚒ (@TonyHomewood) June 29, 2025

Indeed, expressions of pro-Palestinian solidarity were a recurring theme across Glastonbury’s stages this year. As per the information contained in The Guardian report, artists spanning diverse genres — including CMAT, The Libertines, Joy Crookes, TV on the Radio, Sorry, and Paloma Faith — were seen waving Palestinian flags or wearing keffiyeh scarves. Even television presenter Gary Lineker reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” at the end of his appearance.

One of the most politically charged moments came during musician Nadine Shah’s Sunday afternoon set. Performing against a backdrop depicting the devastation in Gaza, Shah declared: “I just don’t like seeing people being killed.” The Guardian reported that she went on to read an open letter from Artists for Palestine UK defending the activist group Palestine Action, which the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has moved to classify as a terrorist organization. The letter denounced the proscription effort as an “attack on democracy” and a “misuse of language.”

Sky’s arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer explain the controversy at Glastonbury after Bob Vylan started chants of “death to the IDF”. @glastonbury @SkyNews #KatieSpencer @IDF @Israel @BobVylan @antisemitism @StandUp2JewHate @jewhatedb pic.twitter.com/ez8ikOMzYB

— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) June 29, 2025

“If I read this out after 4 July, I can potentially be prosecuted for that,” Shah noted, alluding to the impending vote on the measure in Parliament.

In the wake of the furor, the Israeli embassy issued a formal response condemning what it called “inflammatory and hateful rhetoric” from the Glastonbury stage. The report in The Guardian indicated that a statement on X (formerly Twitter) warned that chants such as “Death to the IDF” and “From the river to the sea” effectively advocate for the dismantling of the state of Israel and promote “the elimination of Jewish self-determination.” The embassy stressed that when such sentiments are applauded before tens of thousands of people, they risk normalizing violent extremism.

“Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy,” the embassy wrote, “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.”

The Guardian has pointed to the wider implications of this episode, framing it as part of an escalating tension between cultural expression and political accountability. The newspaper noted that while Glastonbury has long prided itself on being a space for dissent and debate, recent years have made it increasingly difficult to disentangle legitimate political protest from language that fuels division, hate, or worse — potential violence.

As questions swirl around how the BBC allowed the broadcast, whether festival organizers should have screened lyrics in advance, and what constitutes a “red line” in politically expressive art, The Guardian argues that Glastonbury’s cultural influence is once again being tested. In its editorial coverage, the newspaper has urged the festival’s leadership to reinforce clear boundaries on what is permissible in its programming — without compromising its tradition as a home for the counterculture.

Whether such a balance can be struck in the current era remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: Bob Vylan’s short set has left a long echo.