RAP duo Bob Vylan have come under fire after their Glastonbury performance when vocalist Bobby Vylan led crowds in chants of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)”.
The BBC has since expressed regret at not pulling its livestream of the duo’s performance at the West Holts stage on Saturday, saying the “antisemitic sentiments” expressed by the group were “utterly unacceptable”.
Since Glastonbury was founded more than 50 years ago, many artists have used their platform at the ever-growing event to make political statements.
Here are some of the acts who shared their views with audiences at this year’s festival at Worthy Farm:
Kneecap
The Irish rap group led Glastonbury crowds in chants of “f*** Keir Starmer” during their set at the festival on Saturday.
The group, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence.
During the performance, Og O hAnnaidh said: “The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.”
The group also gave a “big thank you to the Eavis family”, adding the festival organisers “stood strong” amid calls for Kneecap to be dropped from the line-up.
The band led crowds in chants of “Free Palestine”, with O hAnnaidh commenting on the sheer number of flags at the festival.
The 27-year-old wore a keffiyeh during the set, while member JJ O Dochartaigh, who performs under the name DJ Provai, wore his signature tri-coloured balaclava and a T-shirt reading “We are all Palestine Action” – in reference to the soon-to-be banned campaign group.
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart filled the tea-time legends slot on Sunday, where he performed alongside his former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Scottish singer Lulu.
The 80-year-old singer, who called on Britain to “give Nigel Farage a chance” in an interview with the Times on Saturday, dedicated a song to Ukraine while its war with Russia rages on.
Ukrainian flags were shown on a screen behind Stewart, who said: “There’s been a lot about the Middle East recently, quite rightly so, but I want to draw your attention to Ukraine in the next song, it’s called the Love Train.”
The lyrics allude to a call for peace, as Stewart sang: “People all over the world, join hands. Start the love train. The first stop that we make will be in England. Tell all the folks in Russia and China too. Don’t you know that it’s time to get on board?”
Jade
Former Little Mix star Jade Thirwall took to the Woodsies stage on Saturday and got fans to join in during her performance of her record FUFN (F*** You For Now).
“I’m sure there are so many people who would love to say f*** you, so I want you all to put your middle fingers up in the air,” she told crowds.
She encouraged her audience to join her in a call and response, where she said things she dislikes and they responded “f*** you”, including a jibe at Farage’s Reform UK party.
“Like low battery, smelly toilets, Reform, welfare cuts, transphobia, silencing protests, selling arms, justifying genocide,” Jade called out.
Nadine Shah
Shah took to the stage on Sunday lunchtime with a backdrop displaying images of Gaza and ended the set by playing voice notes from Palestinian children, many saying, “I’m still alive.” Shah was in tears as these played.
The alternative musician from Whitburn also read an open-letter in support of Palestine Action.
Shah explained that she’s fine with having a reputation as “this kind of earnest, fucking loudmouth, outspoken women” before saying: “I just don’t like seeing people being killed.”
Shah continued: “I think protest and demonstration are incredibly important, and are a basic human right.”
Shah called Palestine Action “an incredible group” and stressed that she’s “a pacifist and not a violent person”.
Amyl and the Sniffers
Amy Taylor, the lead singer of the Australian rock band, made a bold statement as she spoke about Palestine, colonisation and the rights of indigenous people in her home country.
The 29-year-old said politicians from the left and the right “don’t believe in anything at all”.
“I’m thinking about the people in Palestine. All our governments — we’re from Australia — they’re doing jack shit, and I know yours are doing jack shit,” she told crowds at the Other Stage on Saturday evening.
She continued: “I think about schooling and I think about media, and we don’t know, learn anything about colonisation. We don’t learn nothing about sex education.
“We don’t learn any of the right things, and we don’t see any of the right things in the media.
“That’s what is so f***** up. They don’t want us to know. They want us to shut the f*** up, because if we think about Palestine, then back home in Australia we think about the indigenous people there and we think about the fact that us as whities… we’re the f****** colonisers, and that’s so disgusting and that’s so much to hold but that’s the truth.”
The singer also declared: “I think it’s better to say anything than to say nothing at all right now.”
Black Country, New Road
The indie-folk band played the Woodsies stage on Sunday, with vocalist and bassist Tyler Hyde taking centre stage wearing a Palestine flag T-shirt.
The six-piece from Cambridge also had a flag draped over their keyboard, and during their set, Hyde said “Free Palestine” and led the audience in chants of “Free, free Palestine”.
CMAT
Irish country star CMAT, real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, chanted “free Palestine” at the end of her set, which included Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, from her forthcoming third studio album Euro-Country.
Gurriers
Grontman Dan Hoff of Irish noise rockers Gurriers said during their Woodsies set: “Free Palestine, unlike other bands we know where we stand politically.”
Wolf Alice
Later on Sunday, singer Ellie Rowsell told the crowd watching the Mercury-winning indie band at the Other Stage: “Whilst we have the stage for just a little bit longer, we want to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine.
“No-one should ever be afraid to do that.
“We love you all, and we will see you out on the field.”
