Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned UK punk duo Bob Vylan after frontman Bobby Vylan called for “death” to Israeli soldiers during a performance at Glastonbury Festival, labelling it “appalling hate speech.”
The remarks, made on the West Holts stage, included chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces],” which drew immediate backlash from festival organisers, political leaders, and antisemitism campaigners.
Glastonbury Festival organisers said they were “appalled” by the comments.
In a joint Instagram statement with co-organiser Emily Eavis, they stated: “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.”
The post added that while nearly 4,000 acts perform across the weekend and not all views are shared by the organisers, the event stood “against all forms of war and terrorism.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also weighed in, saying the BBC must answer for its decision to broadcast the performance live.
“There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,” Starmer said. “I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.”
A BBC spokesperson responded, saying: “Some of the comments made were deeply offensive,” adding that an on-screen warning had been shown for “very strong and discriminatory language.” The broadcaster confirmed the set will not be available on BBC iPlayer.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy reportedly contacted BBC Director-General Tim Davie for an urgent explanation regarding the vetting process for live broadcasts. A government spokesperson said the decision not to rebroadcast the performance was welcomed.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp went further, saying the rapper had “clearly incited violence and hatred” and should face prosecution. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Philp also urged police to “urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC,” claiming it had “also broken the law.”
“Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict,” he wrote.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the comments as “revolting” during an appearance on the “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg” programme. He drew attention to the irony, stating: “Israelis were taken from a music festival, killed, raped and in some cases are still being held captive.”
Campaign group Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would formally complain to the BBC for broadcasting the act.
“Glastonbury has continued its headlong descent into a pit of extremism and hatred, but it is the behaviour of the BBC that is even more dangerous,” the group said in a statement on X.
The controversy surrounding Bob Vylan follows earlier criticism of Irish-language rap group Kneecap, whose inclusion in the Glastonbury lineup had already sparked debate.
Sir Keir Starmer had previously said their appearance was “not appropriate,” citing the group’s past remarks describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.”
The BBC did not air Kneecap’s set live due to concerns about editorial impartiality. However, on Sunday it uploaded a version of the performance to iPlayer, stating that it had been edited to ensure it “falls within the limits of artistic expression in line with our editorial guidelines.”
The broadcaster added that any strong language had been signposted with “appropriate warnings.”
Kneecap have made headlines in recent months after member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying the flag of proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah at a past concert.
He denies the charge and remains on bail, with his next court appearance scheduled for 20 August.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that footage from both performances on the West Holts Stage will be reviewed. “Footage will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,” a spokesperson said.
Separately, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it would not pursue prosecution over an earlier video that appeared to show Kneecap calling for the death of British MPs.
The force cited that “a range of offences were considered,” but added that “any potential summary only offences were beyond the statutory time limit for prosecution.”
Bob Vylan, made up of singer-guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, are known for their politically charged performances. Both artists perform under stage names and collectively refer to themselves as “the Bobs.”
