Your say / Festivals
‘Bob Vylan still belong on festival stages’
The Metropolitan Police is investigating Bob Vylan again. What for you might wonder?
For the same reason frontman Bobby Vylan was previously investigated, where both the Metropolitan Police and Avon & Somerset Police had ultimately found insufficient evidence to bring charges.
The investigations were over a chant: “Death, death to the IDF” which he led at Glastonbury Festival.
When defending the chant, Bobby Vylan has repeatedly stated he is not calling for the death of any specific group of people, but rather “the dismantling of a violent military machine”.
He could have used different words, he says, but he’s a lyricist and death rhymes with IDF (Israel Defence Force).
During the earlier investigation, Avon & Somerset Police sought advice from legal experts, the Crown Prosecution Service and other police forces. They “proactively engaged with a number of groups,” including Jewish communities.
They said in a statement: “We have concluded, after reviewing all the evidence, that it does not meet the criminal threshold outlined by the CPS for any person to be prosecuted.”
So why are we here again?
On March 15, at the Al-Quds rally in London, Bobby Vylan made a speech and finished with the chant again.
Police investigate each incident individually, so this event is treated as a separate potential public order offence. “No charges” once doesn’t automatically mean “no charges” again.
Al-Quds Day is an annual international event established in 1979 and held on the last Friday of Ramadan to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and an opposition to Israeli control of East Jerusalem.
It has taken place in the UK for more than 40 years.
However, this time the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, banned it over fears of public disorder. Instead of marching, people were allowed to assemble and take part in a static protest.
This raises a bigger question.
Should our legal system focus on punishing artists and protesters for chants and slogans? Or should more attention be paid to the injustices they are protesting about in the first place?
Speaking out comes at a cost.
Taking this stance has had a huge impact on Bob Vylan’s career. Following their Glastonbury performance, the band were dropped by their agent (United Talent). The US revoked their visa and a number of tours, shows and festival appearances were cancelled.
But closer to home, the story looks different. Bob Vylan sold out the Prospect Building in Bristol in November 2025 and to date, the band is performing at two independent festivals, Shindig and Shambala, both rooted in Bristol.
Shindig is held between May 21-24 in the arboretum at Charlton Park Estate. Dubbed a pint-sized Glastonbury, it’s family friendly with an activist edge. The festival told me they’d seen a surge of ticket sales since the announcement.
Festival co-director Darren Paul Kley said: “As an independent event, we can book artists without pressure from corporates or compromise artistic integrity. Booking Bob Vylan was an obvious choice for me and my fellow directors.
“We’re pro-peace and have always loved the rebel poets and performers. Now, more than ever, we need to support artists that call out injustices.
“This is our twelfth year and our focus remains on ensuring the festival is a space for connection, joy and respect.”
Unlike the band’s Glastonbury appearance that drew in 30,000, Bob Vylan will play in front of a crowd of 1,200 in Shindig venue the Dig Inn.
Shambala’s 26th edition takes place over August 27-30 in Northamptonshire. The festival, which is run by Bristol’s Kambe Events, is proudly independent and principled.
“Bob Vylan first lit up the Shambala stage in 2024 with one of the most energising and unforgettable sets we’ve ever hosted,” a festival spokesperson said.
“Our audience felt that, and the duo has since been the most-requested act for two years running.
“The band are activists as much as performers, consistently speaking out against fascism, inequality, racism, sexism and homophobia – values we respect and share.
“At its core the festival is, and always has been, a space for important conversations and intersectional thinking with an emphasis on understanding, peace and unity.
“We’re expecting a loud, joyful and deeply connective set when Bob Vylan returns to headline our Solasta stage on Friday night.”
Having listened to Bobby Vylan defend the chant as a call to dismantle the IDF, an organisation that is causing so much suffering in the region, I’m behind it.
I find it hard to buy the argument that the IDF are defending themselves, given the number of civilian deaths, of which many are children.
And I believe more attention should be paid to the injustices artists are protesting about in the first place.
So I stand with those courageous enough to speak out, step up and support the band.
In my mind Bob Vylan still belongs on festival stages.
Lorna Mercy is a DJ who has lived in Bristol for 30 years.
Main photo: George Harrison
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