Rapper Bobby Wylan, of the rap punk duo Bob Wylan, led the crowd at the festival, chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF.”
British police investigate “Death to the IDF” chants at Glastonbury Festival
British police said they were investigating chants of “Death to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)” at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday (June 29, 2025).
Avon and Somerset Police said they were reviewing footage of the incident. “Were any crimes committed?” An investigation is underway to determine.
Bobby Wylan, a rapper from the rap-punk duo Bob Wylan, performed on stage chanting “Freedom! Free Palestine!” and “Death to the IDF.”
The Israeli embassy in the UK has expressed strong objections to the remarks made on stage against Israel. Social media described the “provocative and hateful comments”.
Health Minister Wes Streeting responded by condemning the performance as “appalling”. He told Sky News that the BBC and the festival organisers had to explain the comments after they were broadcast live to millions of people.
Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said the government had spoken to the BBC’s director-general about the incident. According to the BBC, the live broadcast had been warned to expect “strong and discriminatory language”.
The same day, Irish-language rap group Kneecap also performed. One of the band’s members, Liam Óg Ó Hunnaidh (stage name: Mo Chara), previously faced charges under the Terrorism Act for waving a Hezbollah flag in London. He is currently on unconditional bail.
The band has been heavily criticized for its vulgar language, drug references, and political hate speech. The band has been under fire since videos emerged of them chanting “Raise Hamas, raise Hezbollah”.