"Their chants very much crossed a line": Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis slams Bob Vylan’s remarks, says festival won’t tolerate hate speech or antisemitism

Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis has spoken out after performer Bob Vylan led a chant of “death to the IDF” during the UK festival. She said the festival team was “appalled” by what happened and made it clear that Glastonbury will not allow hate speech or antisemitism.

Her comments came just after the performance on Saturday at the West Holts stage. Emily Eavis said this behavior crossed a line. The festival was held in Worthy Farm, Somerset, from June 25 to 29. It drew criticism after the chant was broadcast live on BBC iPlayer. The BBC later removed the stream and called the performance “deeply offensive.” Police in Avon and Somerset are reviewing footage to see if any criminal offense was committed.

Emily Eavis’s statement and festival response

Emily Eavis, daughter of co-founder Michael Eavis, posted on Instagram on Sunday. She said the festival was shocked by Bob Vylan’s words.

She also said that with nearly 4,000 performances this year, some artists will share views her team does not agree with. That is fine. But she stressed that support for hate speech is not. She wrote that a performer’s views don’t speak for the festival. Emily Eavis's statement tried to balance freedom of speech with festival values.

Wider reaction and investigation

Bob Vylan is a London duo that mixes punk and rap. On stage, they used chants and visuals to highlight their message. The BBC aired the performance live. After criticism, it removed the stream and said it would not make it available again. The broadcaster also displayed a warning during the show about offensive language.

As per the reports by The Guardian, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said chants were hateful. He called on both Glastonbury and the BBC to explain how this happened. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the rhetoric “appalling” and said there are questions for the BBC and Glastonbury. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy contacted the BBC’s director general for answers. She expressed concern over the broadcast of the remarks. Avon and Somerset Police said they will look at the video clips to decide if any laws were broken.

Context and festival background

Glastonbury 2025 was back, with almost 200,000 people attending Worthy Farm. Emily's father, Michael Eavis, was the co-founder of Glastonbury in 1970. They have both commented about how Glastonbury goes beyond music; it is about activism and community. Emily Eavis has mentioned that anyone who does not like the politics of this festival is welcome to stay at home.

Headliners this year were The 1975, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart, The Prodigy, Charli XCX, and Loyle Carner. The festival takes place in blocks of five days, and there is a fallow year planned for 2026 to let the farm recover.

Glastonbury has a strong tradition of being a stage for political voices. It was once saved from shutting down in the 1990s thanks to its activist roots. It has also had trouble with gatecrashers, crowd safety, and controversies over big-name acts.

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Emily Eavis’s response places Glastonbury at a crossroads. The festival wants to keep its spirit of free speech and activism while drawing a clear line at hate speech and calls for violence. Whether that line holds may shape how Glastonbury handles political expression in the years ahead.

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