Glastonbury festival officials released a statement on Sunday condemning the chants and remarks made by British punk and hip hop duo Bob Vylan during their set on Saturday.
The group with Bobby Vylan on vocals and guitar and Bobbie Vylan on drums led the crowd in chants of “Death, death to the IDF” and “Free, free Palestine,” and also used the controversial slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, free.”
In a statement, festival organizers stressed that Glastonbury was founded in 1970 to celebrate music, art, and the best of humanity, adding that they stand firmly against war and terrorism and actively promote hope, unity, peace, and love.
They noted that with nearly 4,000 performances at this year’s festival, it’s inevitable that some artists or speakers might express views the festival doesn’t share. However, they made it clear that Bob Vylan’s statements went too far, saying they were “appalled” by what was said on the West Holts stage. Organizers added that they’re urgently reminding all involved with the festival that antisemitism, hate speech, or calls for violence have no place at Glastonbury.
The BBC also weighed in, calling the set “deeply offensive” and saying it would not be made available on demand. The broadcaster explained that while the live stream on iPlayer included an on-screen warning about the strong and discriminatory language used, they have no plans to re-release the performance.
“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.
“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.”
Earlier, a BBC spokesperson Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set today as “deeply offensive” and said it won’t be making it available on demand. “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive,” the BBC statement 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.”
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