BBC Faces Backlash Over Bob Vylan’s Controversial Glastonbury Performance!

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The BBC has spoken up following the backlash they received for airing a very contentious Glastonbury show put on by punk band, Bob Vylan.

At the concert on Saturday, 28th June, Bobby Vylan, the lead singer of the group, instigated chants advocating for the demise of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and invoked a contentious phrase, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

After witnessing such abhorrent behavior during the program, I couldn’t help but express my disapproval as a fan. In a statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made it clear that there is no justification for this vile hate speech and urged the BBC to clarify how such distressing scenes came to be aired on their platform.

As a dedicated fan, I was truly disheartened to hear about some of the deeply offensive remarks made during Bob Vylan’s performance. Such language has no place in our community or anywhere, for that matter.

During the live broadcast on iPlayer that mirrored the stage show, a caution regarding extremely offensive and biased language appeared on-screen. There are currently no intentions to offer the performance as an on-demand option.

Simultaneously, the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, expressed his concerns by stating: “In airing [Bob Vylan’s] offensive rhetoric, the BBC seems to have potentially violated the law. I request the authorities to swiftly investigate and bring charges if necessary.

He stated: “The nation’s broadcasting network ought not to air content that promotes hatred, intending to provoke violence and disputes.

In a conversation on the BBC program, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed his strong disapproval of Vylan’s remarks, describing them as highly offensive or abhorrent.

Emily Eavis, the organizer of Glastonbury, also released a statement about the performance, stating that “Given around 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, it’s likely we’ll have artists and speakers on our stages whose views differ from ours. A performer’s appearance here should not be interpreted as an endorsement of their viewpoints or beliefs.

She went on to express her dismay over the remarks made at the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan the day before.

At Glastonbury Festival, the expressions crossing the boundary of antisemitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence are absolutely unacceptable. We’re immediately making it clear to everyone contributing to the festival that such behavior has no place here.

Initially, the BBC advised viewers about offensive and discriminatory language in the program, but eventually took down the entire set from iPlayer.

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2025-06-30 12:34