Bob Vylan’s Anti-Israel Glastonbury Chants Force BBC to Rethink Live Broadcasts

The Glastonbury Festival, a cultural juggernaut of music and revelry, took a dark turn last weekend when punk-rap duo Bob Vylan transformed their set into a platform for controversial anti-Israel rhetoric. Frontman Bobby Vylan’s chants of “Death to the IDF” — referring to the Israel Defense Forces — echoed through the crowd, amplified by waving Palestinian flags. The performance, broadcast live by the BBC, sparked immediate outrage, with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemning it as “appalling hate speech.”

The BBC, caught flat-footed, admitted in a Thursday statement that it had flagged Bob Vylan as a “high risk” act alongside seven others before the festival. Despite this, they deemed the duo suitable for live streaming with “mitigations” like content warnings. Clearly, those measures failed spectacularly. The broadcaster now faces backlash for not pulling the plug mid-performance, with BBC Chair Samir Shah issuing a heartfelt apology, particularly to the Jewish community, for allowing “unconscionable antisemitic views” to air. Director-General Tim Davie, who was on-site at Glastonbury, acted swiftly to remove the set from on-demand coverage, but the damage was done.

In response, the BBC has vowed to overhaul its policies. No more live broadcasts of “high risk” performers, they say, promising stricter guidelines to avoid future missteps. Meanwhile, Bob Vylan’s fallout continues: their U.S. visas have been revoked, and their agency, United Talent, dropped them like a hot potato. The duo’s attempt to play victim hasn’t quelled the storm of criticism.

This incident exposes the tightrope media outlets walk when balancing free expression with responsibility. Glastonbury’s stage is no stranger to political statements, but when rhetoric crosses into hate, the line must be drawn. The BBC’s mea culpa signals a reckoning, but will it be enough to restore trust?