Glastonbury Fallout: Bob Vylan Under Criminal Probe, US Visa Revoked After On-Stage Chants

Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan is now facing a criminal investigation in the U.K. and a U.S. visa revocation following controversial chants made during their live performance at the Glastonbury Festival. The incident, broadcast live by the BBC, has drawn sharp criticism from top British politicians, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

During their Glastonbury set, lead singer Bobby Vylan (real name Pascal Robinson-Foster) led chants of “Death, death to the IDF,” referring to the Israeli military. The BBC, which streamed the performance live on iPlayer, added an on-screen warning about “very strong and discriminatory” language. However, the broadcaster later issued a statement regretting not pulling away from the livestream, calling the sentiments “utterly unacceptable” and affirming its stance against incitement to violence.

The controversy quickly escalated, with Prime Minister Starmer condemning the chants as “appalling hate speech” and stating the BBC had “questions to answer.” Other politicians, including Conservative MP Chris Philp, called for the BBC’s prosecution. British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also described the scenes as “appalling and unacceptable.”

Both the U.K. police and U.S. authorities have taken action. A criminal investigation has been launched by U.K. police into whether comments made by Bob Vylan and Irish-language hip-hop band Kneecap (whose edited Glastonbury performance was also controversial) amounted to criminal offenses, including hate crimes. Additionally, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed that Bob Vylan’s members would have their visas revoked, stating, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” impacting their upcoming U.S. tour plans. Glastonbury festival organizers have also expressed being “appalled” by Bob Vylan’s comments, stating they “crossed a line.”

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