During this year's Glastonbury Festival, a significant controversy ignited following a performance by British punk band Bob Vylan. The lead singer voiced chants of “Death, death to the I.D.F.,” directed at the Israeli Defense Forces, which resulted in immediate backlash from festival organizers and political figures in the UK.
Glastonbury, the largest music festival in Britain, has been under scrutiny recently for allowing the Irish rap group Kneecap to perform, despite political pressure due to the group's previous anti-Israel statements and a member's terrorism charge. Kneecap's popularity drew a large audience an hour ahead of Bob Vylan's set at the West Holts stage.
The performance was made more controversial as the chants were broadcast live by the BBC, prompting harsh criticism from various sectors, including Jewish organizations and Israel’s embassy in the UK, who accused the festival of fostering hate. Avon and Somerset police announced they were reviewing footage to determine if any laws were breached during the performance.
In a public statement shared via social media, festival organizers remarked, “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... However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday.”
