Glastonbury is no stranger to political statements, and this year a punk duo grabbed headlines created a huge storm after urging "death" to Israeli troops.
The remarks made by Bob Vylan on Saturday as the group played the West Holts stage ahead of other controversial rappers Kneecap, continues to grow.
Police have launched a probe into the comments made by Bobby Vylan, one half of the duo.
It is not the first time with the group has been embroiled in controversy having previously caused outrage with their actions and lyrics.
Who are Bob Vylan?
Bob Vylan (pronounced villain) are known for their unconventional blend of punk and hip-hop.
Formed in London in 2017, the pair have built a cult following with their fiercely political lyrics and incendiary live performances.
To protect their identities in what they describe as a surveillance state, they go by Bobby and Bobbie.
Their songs contain scathing indictments of the British establishment, sexism, racism, homophobia and inequality, blending punk, grime and hardcore into a sound all their own.
They quickly broke through the industry’s glass ceiling, winning Best Album at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards, best alternative music award at the Mobo’s and landing in the UK Top 20 — an impressive feat for such a divisive sound.
“The band has gotten itself to a point where you can’t really ignore us,” the vocalist told DIY magazine.
But they have caused huge controversy along the way. The duo’s first major festival, Reading, saw lead singer Bobby take to the stage wearing a tattered Union flag, while yelling “this country’s in need of a good f***ing spanking” and “Kill the queen! She killed Diana!”
On their debut at Glastonbury, in 2022, they sang about the Thatcher government: “F*** that, let’s go dig up Maggie” went one verse. “Let’s dig up Maggie’s grave.”
Provocative lyrics include: “Landlord just raised your rent – mate, get yourself a gun”.
Following the performance, Bobby Vylan issued a statement on Instagram, saying he had been “inundated with messages of both support and hatred”.
What happened at Glastonbury?
The duo performed on Saturday afternoon on the West Holt stage.
During their set, Bobby Vylan launched into a powerful polemic against political leaders for “complicity in genocide”, leading a chant of “Free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF.”
The moment quickly spread across social media, with pro-Israel critics branding the duo as “anti-Semitic.”
As a proud Zionist, I wouldn’t feel welcome at Glastonbury this year. This is the state of Britain’s biggest music festival. A platform for extremists
— Bella Wallersteiner 🇺🇦 (@BellaWallerstei) June 27, 2025
While Sir Keir Starmer led criticism across the political spectrum of the chants calling for “death” to the Israeli military, which were widely condemned.
This comes following the legal trouble facing Irish rave-rap group Kneecap, who face terrorism charges after their controversial anti-Israel comments at Coachella.
The controversy surrounding Kneecap led the BBC to decide not to air their performance, instead opting for Bob Vylan, which turned out to be equally inflammatory.
Following the performance, news broke that police are assessing videos of both Kneecap and Bob Vylan.
Some pundits have branded the reaction as “utter hysteria” and serving as pure distraction from the suffering taking place in Gaza.
This is utter hysteria.
— Barry Malone (@malonebarry) June 28, 2025
To state the obvious: Almost 60,000 people are recorded to have been killed by Israel in Gaza (the true number will be many times higher) and 17,000 of them are children. But Kneecap, Bob Vylan, hurty words.
It would be funny if it wasn't so shameful. https://t.co/zgdtOTO9is
It’s not the first time the duo has hit the headlines. In 2021, the vocalist was hit by an ice cube during an impassioned performance, according to The Norwich Evening News.
Sarah Corbett from Norwich claimed she was in the middle of the mishap.
“We were all having fun on the dance floor. I’d put an ice cube down my friend’s top for a laugh”, she told the paper.
“Another girl then threw it at her friend, but it missed and landed at his feet.
“At that point, he stopped the gig and demanded to know who had thrown it.
“Seeing the girl’s face drop, I decided to take the flak and announced it was me. He started abusing me through the microphone.
“As I tried to leave, one of his fans tried to grab me by the throat.”
A spokesperson for the band told the paper that they “completely refute any wrongdoing” and that Bobby “did not want to engage”.
What else do they stand for?
Bob Vylan’s entire identity is rooted in protest. Their lyrics cover all manner of topics, from police brutality and the legacy of colonialism to gentrification and mental health challenges.
In their song Britain Makes Me Violent, Bobby insists there’s “nothing great” about Great Britain.
On Reign, the vocalist advocates for repatriation: “Got a message for the thieves in the palace, we want the jewels back.”
On GYAG, the singer takes a shock approach to the London housing crisis, saying “Landlord just raised your rent / Mate, get yourself a gun”, stemming from his own experience with a newborn under a cruel landlord.
The provocative lyrics, they explain, are simply a reaction to a state that enables systematic mistreatment.
He told The Guardian: “I’m not saying it for the purpose of purely being provocative. It’s just what I feel.”
Bob Vylan just posted this on his Instagram😂 pic.twitter.com/0QB0hbXUeB
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) June 28, 2025
Following the provocative Glastonbury show, Bobby Vylan appeared relaxed eating an ice cream, while he said: “Zionists are crying on socials.”
The grandson of a Windrush immigrant, who was raised in Ipswich, Robinson-Foster's background was not without connections.
A godfather is Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters, the multi-millionaire Anglo-American rapper and record producer better known as Slick Rick, who is famed for his diamond-encrusted jewellery.
Discussing their desire to spark political controversy, Bobby said: “You have Stormzy, for example, performing at Glastonbury at the main stage in a stabproof vest with the Union Jack on it. That's a political statement. But now you look at punk music and it's not what it once was.”
