Vocalist Bobby Vylan chanted “Free, free Palestine,” “Death, death to the IDF” and said “Hell yeah, from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free” while on stage at the Glastonbury Music Festival.
The British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, who led the crowd in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF (Israeli army – PC)” during their Glastonbury Music Festival performance on Saturday, has been denied entry to the US for their statements.
“The State Department has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X on Monday.
The @StateDept has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) June 30, 2025
This reportedly comes ahead of a roughly 20-city tour by the duo scheduled through the United States, with performances planned in several major cities, including Washington, DC.
The BBC, which broadcast the festival live, aired the duo’s performance without censorship but did not broadcast the performance of Irish hip hop group Kneecap, who also expressed pro-Palestinian messages live, citing editorial guidelines.
‘Death, Death to the IDF’
Formed in 2017, the duo performs under the stage names of Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, as vocalist, with Bobbie Vylan, as the drummer.
While performing at the Glastonbury Music Festival, vocalist Bobby Vylan chanted “Free, free Palestine,” “Death, death to the IDF” and said “Hell yeah, from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free” while on stage.
“Because sometimes you’ve got to get your message across with violence because that is the only language that some people speak, unfortunately.”
Punk duo Bob Vylan used their Glastonbury set to deliver a powerful message against the genocide in Gaza, declaring that they’re not… pic.twitter.com/9zg3RW34sM
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 29, 2025
The BBC issued a statement on Monday, saying “The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
The statement follows concerns raised by the broadcast regulator Ofcom that the BBC “clearly has questions to answer” over its coverage, while the government questioned why the comments were aired live, the BBC reported.
‘Antisemitism’ Claims
A BBC spokesperson described the comments made during Vylan’s performance as “antisemitic sentiments” and “utterly unacceptable.”
The broadcaster reportedly said the performance would not be made available on its iPlayer streaming platform.
Artists at Glastonbury continue to use their platform to speak out against Israels genocide in Gaza.
This was displayed by Fontaines DC during their set. pic.twitter.com/FmYAgxj7T4— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) June 30, 2025
The organisers of the Glastonbury Festival have reportedly said they were “appalled” by the comments, which “crossed a line”.
Following the performance, StopAntisemitism, a privately funded American advocacy group, called for Bob Vylan to have their visas revoked ahead of their concerts in the United States for their Inertia Tour, Anadolu reported.
“This antisemite must have his visa denied/rescinded – his hate is not welcome here,” StopAntisemitism wrote on X, referring to Bobby.
‘I Said What I Said’
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Bobby Vylan said he had been “inundated with messages of both support and hatred,” and went on to stress the importance of speaking up on matters of importance, citing his daughter’s expression on her view on healthier meals at schools.
“Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,” Vylan stated.
“It is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us,” he continued.
Vylan added, “Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.
“Today is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.”
He emphasized, “I said what I said.”
Kneecap’s Performance
Irish band Kneecap, during their performance, were met with several Palestinian flags being waved in the crowd.
The group’s Liam O’Hanna, also sent a shout-out to Palestine Action, a pro-Palestine activist group facing a ban by the UK government.
“I can see the amount of PALESTINIAN flags here and it’s f*** insane. The BBC editor is going to have some job”
Kneecap at Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/UVn1rUp4mT
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) June 28, 2025
O’Hanna recalled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statement that Kneecap performing at the festival “was not appropriate” and criticized Starmer, according to the Anadolu news agency.
“The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f**k Keir Starmer,” O’Hanna, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, told the crowd.
O’Hanna has been charged under the British Terrorism Act for holding a Hezbollah flag at a London concert last year. He is scheduled to appear in court again in August.
Social Activism
Local police have reportedly said they “are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury festival this afternoon.”
“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,” the police added.
One of the biggest musical events in the world, the Glastonbury Festival has been held since the early 1970s and is attended by more than 200,000 attendees.
Elijah Hewson 🇮🇪 at Glastonbury, speaks for Palestine 🇵🇸
“I’d like to dedicate this next song to the people of Palestine.. being starved.. for the sake of lunatics. We have to say it as our greatest strength is freedom of expression.”
Have that BBC.pic.twitter.com/QhKMLGU2GS
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) June 29, 2025
The festival is described as having been inspired by “the ethos of the hippie” of the 1960s, and has since offered a platform for debate and discussion on contemporary issues.
The “Left Field Tent” at this year’s festival hosted discussions such as “Confronting the Rise of the Far Right” and “Saving the Planet but Not Leaving Workers Behind.”
(PC, Anadolu)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
