Bob Vylan Dropped From Europe Music Festivals in Wake of “Death to the IDF” Controversy

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Music artist Bob Vylan was removed from the performance list of a Manchester music festival following the emergence of controversy.

The hip-hop duo was scheduled to close the Radar Festival at Victoria Warehouse in the city this Saturday, but festival organizers announced on social media that they won’t be performing. On Instagram Wednesday, the group informed their fans: “Manchester, we’ll return.

It was arranged for Bob Vylan to perform at the Kave Fest music festival in France on Sunday, but unfortunately, it’s been announced that they won’t be able to make it. Additionally, their scheduled performance at a German gig in September has also been canceled.

Following the British act’s performance at Glastonbury Festival, there was a strong backlash last week due to their chant of “death, death to the Israeli Defense Forces” on the West Holts stage.

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Emily Eavis, organizer of Glastonbury, strongly criticized the inappropriate comments made during a performance, and the BBC, festival broadcast partner, expressed their apologies for not immediately halting the live stream as anti-Semitic remarks were heard. “The BBC values free speech but strongly opposes any form of incitement to violence,” the statement explained. “In hindsight, we should have stopped the transmission during the act. We are sorry this action was not taken.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the chants as vile hate speech, and as a result, their U.S. visas have been revoked following their offensive performance at Glastonbury. This week, they were also dropped by the United Talent Agency, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s report.

On Tuesday, Bob Vylan addressed the recent uproar on Instagram, expressing that they felt as though they had become a target simply for voicing their opinions.

Bob Vylan clearly stated that they do not advocate for the demise of Jews, Arabs, or any other ethnic group. Instead, their focus is on dismantling a violent military apparatus. He further explained that, similar to others who have been in the limelight previously, they themselves are not the main issue; rather, they serve as a diversion from the real story. Any penalties they face will also function as a distraction.

This year, Glastonbury Festival was filled with political expressions as numerous performers shared their personal opinions during their performances. To conclude the event, Olivia Rodrigo delivered an energetic headlining performance on Sunday evening.

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2025-07-02 18:54