UK police have confirmed no charges will be brought over Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury 2025 chants after a months-long investigation.
UK police have confirmed they will not pursue charges against Bob Vylan following an investigation into chants made during the punk rap duo’s Glastonbury 2025 performance.
The investigation was launched in July after frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd in chants of “Death, death, to the IDF.” during the band’s set at the festival. The chant, referencing the Israel Defense Forces, quickly sparked widespread controversy, political scrutiny, and saw the group dropped from their label.
This week, Avon and Somerset Constabulary confirmed the case had been closed. In a statement reported by Rolling Stone, police said: “We have concluded, after reviewing all the evidence, that [the chant] does not meet the criminal threshold outlined by the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] for any person to be prosecuted. No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Police confirmed that a voluntary interview was carried out in November with a man in his mid-thirties, though no name was released. Officers also spoke with around 200 festival attendees as part of the inquiry, gathering accounts to assess intent, context, and how the statements were understood by those present.
“We sought specific consideration around the words stated, in terms of the intent behind them, the wider context of how people heard what was said, case law and anything else potentially relevant, including freedom of speech,” police said. “Every case must be treated on its own merits.”
The fallout from the performance was swift. Glastonbury organisers publicly distanced themselves from the chants, and Bob Vylan later had their US travel visas revoked. Several festivals subsequently removed the group from their lineups.
Bob Vylan, who have long been outspoken supporters of Palestine, rejected claims that the chants were antisemitic. Shortly after the performance, Bobby Vylan addressed the backlash on Instagram, writing “I said what I said,” while noting he had received “messages of both support and hatred”.
In July, the band issued a longer clarification of their position: “We 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 ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid.”
Bobby Vylan has since reiterated that stance publicly. Appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast, he was asked whether he stood by the chants. “Oh yeah. Like what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again. I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays,” he said.
He continued, “I’m not regretful of it at all, like the subsequent backlash that I’ve faced. It’s minimal. It’s minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through.”
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