Glastonbury Controversy: Bob Vylan & Kneecap Under Criminal Investigation, US Visa Revoked After Anti-IDF Chants

British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan is now facing a criminal investigation in the U.K. and a U.S. visa revocation following controversial anti-Israeli military chants during their live BBC-broadcasted performance at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, June 28. Irish-language hip-hop band Kneecap is also under police investigation for their performance.

Bobby Vylan (real name Pascal Robinson-Foster) led chants of “Death, death to the IDF” during the set, which was streamed live on BBC iPlayer. The broadcaster quickly added an on-screen warning about “very strong and discriminatory” language but subsequently faced severe criticism from politicians, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who condemned the “appalling hate speech” and demanded answers from the BBC.

On Monday, June 30, the BBC issued a statement regretting not pulling away from the livestream, calling the “anti-semitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan utterly unacceptable” and affirming its stance against incitement to violence. Conservative MP Chris Philp called for the BBC’s prosecution, alleging the broadcast broke the law, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also described the scenes as “appalling and unacceptable.”

U.K. police have confirmed a criminal investigation has been launched into both Bob Vylan and Kneecap’s performances to determine if any comments amounted to criminal offenses, including hate crimes. Kneecap, who have previously been critical of Israel, had an edited version of their Glastonbury performance aired by the BBC after earlier controversy.

Furthermore, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced on X that Bob Vylan’s U.S. visas would be revoked, stating, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” impacting their upcoming U.S. tour. Glastonbury festival organizers have also expressed their dismay, stating they are “appalled” by Bob Vylan’s comments, which they believe “crossed a line.”

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