Probe of ‘Death to IDF’ chant at Glastonbury festival ongoing, say UK police

Officers hold voluntary interview with a man in his mid-30s as part of inquiries into ‘public order incident,’ when rap group Bob Vylan led anti-Israel chorus from stage

By Reuters and ToI Staff 11 November 2025, 2:30 pm

Edit

To the backdrop of a Palestinian flag, Bobby Vylan of British duo Bob Vylan performs on the West Holts Stage on the fourth day of the Glastonbury festival at Worthy Farm in the village of Pilton in Somerset, southwest England, on June 28, 2025. (Oli SCARFF / AFP)

British police said on Tuesday they were continuing to investigate comments made on stage during a performance by duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury music festival in June over derogatory chanting about the Israeli military.

Avon and Somerset Police said they had held a voluntary police interview with a man in his mid-30s to help progress their inquiries.

“The matter has been recorded as a public order incident while we continue to investigate and consider all relevant legislation,” Avon and Somerset Police said.

The performance by Bob Vylan, a duo whose stage names are Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, both thought to be in their mid-30s, included onstage chants of “Death, death to the IDF,” a reference to the Israel Defense Forces, then heavily involved in fighting the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

The performance was condemned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Israeli Embassy in London, while the BBC was criticized for not stopping its livestreaming of the set.

Days later, British police said they had opened an investigation into Bob Vylan’s behavior, and that of Irish-language band Kneecap, which also called for “death” to the Israeli military at the music festival.