Bobby Vylan will not be prosecuted over Glastonbury chants

• Avon and Somerset Police say there is “insufficient evidence” to prosecute rapper Bobby Vylan over the “death to the IDF” chants at Glastonbury. 
• The controversial performance led to festival fallout, festival and agency cancellations, and the revocation of the band’s US visas. 

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that the investigation into the Glastonbury Festival performance by the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan has concluded with no further action.

Officers said the evidence didn't meet the criminal threshold required for prosecution under guidelines from the Crown Prosecution Service. 

The review followed crowds chanting “death, death to the IDF”, a reference to the 'Israel' Forces during the group’s June set on the West Holts Stage at the Worthy Farm festival. The remarks were also broadcast live on the BBC iPlayer. 

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Police said they conducted a voluntary interview with a man in his mid-30s, understood to be frontman Pascal Robinson-Foster, who performs as Bobby Vylan. Officers spoke to about 200 members of the public as part of their enquiries and consulted legal advisers on whether any offences had occurred. 

Wider Backlash After Performance

The chants at Glastonbury triggered a major backlash across the UK. Festival organisers described the call for “death to the IDF” as unacceptable, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the remarks “appalling hate speech”.

The BBC later apologised for broadcasting the performance, acknowledging it should have intervened, and its complaints team ruled the coverage breached editorial guidelines. 

In the weeks after the festival, Bob Vylan were dropped from several music events and rejected by their management and booking agency. The United States revoked the band’s visas, forcing the cancellation of a planned American tour. 

Bobby Vylan has publicly defended the chant and denied any call for violence against Jews or other groups, saying the performance was political expression. 

Community Response

Jewish community groups and others critical of the decision expressed disappointment with the lack of charges, arguing that the language used was harmful and could fuel further tensions. 

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Bob Vylan has also launched legal action against Irish broadcaster RTÉ, alleging defamation over its coverage of the Glastonbury chants.

With the police inquiry closed, there will be no criminal charges related to the Glastonbury performance. The controversy continues to shape debates in the UK music scene about the limits of protest speech at major cultural events.