Bob Vylan to no longer headline festival in Manchester after Glastonbury controversy

Punk rap duo Bob Vylan will no longer headline the Radar Festival in Manchester days after leading chants of "death to the IDF" at Glastonbury.

The performance on the West Holts Stage on Saturday was livestreamed on the BBC - leading the corporation to apologise as it described the chants referencing the Israeli military as "antisemitic" and "unacceptable".

Avon and Somerset Police announced on Monday that it had opened a criminal investigation after reviewing footage of performances at Glastonbury by Bob Vylan and Irish hip hop trio Kneecap.

The Metropolitan Police has now said it has launched a separate investigation after Bob Vylan allegedly called for "death to every single IDF soldier out there" at a gig one month before Glastonbury.

"Officers are investigating comments allegedly made during a concert at Alexandra Palace earlier this year," A Met spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"The decision to investigate follows the emergence of footage which appears to have been filmed at the venue on 28 May 2025."

The pair had supported Iggy Pop at the London venue.

In a post on Instagram on Wednesday, the Radar Festival, which takes place at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, wrote: "Bob Vylan will not be appearing at Radar Festival this weekend."

The festival has not explained why the duo will no longer appear on Saturday night - with its line-up now reading "headliner TBC".

In response, the group shared the festival's statement on their Instagram story, adding the caption: "Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester we will be back."

It comes after the band were barred from the US, where they were due to tour in autumn with performances in Chicago, Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau said the duo's visas were revoked for their "hateful tirade at Glastonbury".

The band have also been pulled from an upcoming performance at a German music venue.

In a statement on Tuesday, the duo said they were being "targeted for speaking up" after police opened their investigation.

They wrote: "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.

"A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza."

The statement added: "We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story.

"We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction."

Read more:
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Bob Vylan have US visas revoked
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During the performance on Saturday, Bobby Vylan, one half of the duo, also led his crowd in chants that included "Free, free Palestine".

Bob Vylan performed on the West Holts Stage slot directly before Kneecap, whose member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara, appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.

He is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.

Kneecap also led the Glastonbury crowd in "Free Palestine" chants.

The BBC has faced strong criticism for continuing to livestream the Bob Vylan performance on iPlayer with on-screen warnings about discriminatory language.

It has since been revealed that BBC director-general Tim Davie was at Glastonbury when the chants were broadcast.

A BBC spokesperson said: "The director-general was informed of the incident after the performance and at that point he was clear it should not feature in any other Glastonbury coverage."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy criticised the BBC over its decision not to pull the Bob Vylan livestream during the chants on Saturday and said there is "a problem of leadership" at the corporation.

The group was formed in Ipswich in 2017, and are known for addressing political issues in their albums, including racism, masculinity and class.

The group are scheduled to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall in August.

(c) Sky News 2025: Bob Vylan to no longer headline festival in Manchester after Glastonbury controversy