By Shahana Yasmin
Bob Vylan have been kicked off the lineups of multiple European festivals after they led the crowd in pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli military chants during their Glastonbury set.
The punk duo were scheduled to headline the Radar festival at Manchester鈥檚 Victoria Warehouse on Saturday before the organisers announced they 鈥渨ill not be appearing鈥.
In the course of their performance on 28 June, Bobby Vylan led a Glastonbury crowd in chants of 鈥淔ree, free Palestine鈥 and 鈥淒eath, death to the IDF鈥, referring to the Israeli military.
The band responded in an Instagram Story: 鈥淪ilence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester we will be back.鈥
Bob Vylan were also set to play at the French music festival Kave Fest on Sunday and open for Gogol Bordello in Germany later this year. Both appearances have been cancelled.
鈥淭he band Bob Vylan will not be performing as the opening act on 13 September 2025 at the Live Music Hall,鈥 the German venue said on their Instagram.
Kave Fest said that 鈥渋n light of recent events, Bob Vylan have been dropped by their agent鈥.
鈥淭he Eure department and the city of Gisors have informed us they will oppose Bob Vylan’s presence at Kave Fest,鈥 the festival wrote on their Instagram.
鈥淭his is forcing us to cancel Bob Vylan’s appearance at Kave Fest this year. We fully support freedom of expression for ALL artists around the world. Our thoughts are with the victims of war in Palestine and their families. We stand firmly against all acts of war and hatred.鈥
The performance by the punk duo, who go by the names Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, was broadcast live on the BBC but the corporation later said it 鈥渟hould have pulled鈥 the coverage. In the aftermath, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they were assessing videos of both Bob Vylan and Kneecap鈥檚 performances at the festival.
Glastonbury organisers said they were 鈥渁ppalled鈥欌 by the chant against the Israeli military which 鈥渧ery much crossed a line鈥.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday and captioned 鈥淪ilence is not an option鈥, Bob Vylan claimed they were being 鈥渢argeted for speaking up鈥 and that the row over their chants was a 鈥渄istraction鈥 from the real issue.
鈥淭oday, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band,鈥 they said.
鈥淲e are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use 鈥榰nnecessary lethal force鈥 against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza. We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story.
鈥淲e are a distraction from the story,鈥 they added in the statement. 鈥淎nd whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.鈥
It was reported on Monday by Deadline that United Talent Agency had dropped the band after their Glastonbury set.
The agency appears to have scrubbed the act from their official website.
The Independent has contacted the agency for comment.
Earlier this week, American officials revoked the punk duo鈥檚 visas ahead of their tour of the country because of what deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau called 鈥渢heir hateful tirade at Glastonbury鈥.