Who are Bob Vylan? The punk duo behind Glastonbury's controversial pro-Palestine chants

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Glastonbury is no stranger to political statements, and this year a punk duo grabbed headlines after leading pro-Palestine chants on stage.
Here's what you need to know about the breakthrough act shaking up the Left Field stage this weekend.
Who are Bob Vylan?
Bob Vylan (pronounced villain) are known for their unconventional blend of punk and hip-hop.
Formed in London in 2017, the pair have built a cult following with their fiercely political lyrics and incendiary live performances.
To protect their identities in what they describe as a surveillance state, they go by Bobby and Bobbie.
Their songs contain scathing indictments of the British establishment, racism and inequality, blending punk, grime and hardcore into a sound all their own.
They quickly broke through the industry's glass ceiling, winning Best Album at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards and landing in the UK Top 20 — an impressive feat for such a divisive sound.
'The band has gotten itself to a point where you can't really ignore us,' the vocalist told DIY magazine.
What happened at Glastonbury?
The duo performed on Saturday afternoon on the Left Field stage, a venue associated with radical politics.
During their set, Bobby Vylan launched into a powerful polemic against political leaders for 'complicity in genocide', leading a chant of 'Free Palestine' and 'Death to the IDF.'
The moment quickly spread across social media, with pro-Israel voices branding the duo as 'anti-Semitic.'
As a proud Zionist, I wouldn't feel welcome at Glastonbury this year. This is the state of Britain's biggest music festival. A platform for extremists
— Bella Wallersteiner 🇺🇦 (@BellaWallerstei) June 27, 2025
Others believe that the performance is making 'the right people' uncomfortable, responding: 'You wouldn't be welcome, and you, as a Zionist, are in fact the extremist. '
This comes following the legal trouble facing Irish rave-rap group Kneecap, who face terrorism charges after their controversial anti-Israel comments at Coachella.
The controversy surrounding Kneecap led the BBC to decide not to air their performance, instead opting for Bob Vylan, which turned out to be equally inflammatory.
Following the performance, news broke that police are assessing videos of both Kneecap and Bob Vylan.
Some pundits have branded the reaction as 'utter hysteria' and serving as pure distraction from the suffering taking place in Gaza.
This is utter hysteria. To state the obvious: Almost 60,000 people are recorded to have been killed by Israel in Gaza (the true number will be many times higher) and 17,000 of them are children. But Kneecap, Bob Vylan, hurty words. It would be funny if it wasn't so shameful. https://t.co/zgdtOTO9is
— Barry Malone (@malonebarry) June 28, 2025
What else do they stand for?
Bob Vylan's entire identity is rooted in protest. Their lyrics cover all manner of topics, from police brutality and the legacy of colonialism to gentrification and mental health challenges.
In their song Britain Makes Me Violent, Bobby insists there's 'nothing great' about Great Britain.
On Reign, the vocalist advocates for repatriation: 'Got a message for the thieves in the palace, we want the jewels back.'
On GYAG, the singer takes a shock approach to the London housing crisis, saying 'Landlord just raised your rent / Mate, get yourself a gun', stemming from his own experience with a newborn under a cruel landlord.
The provocative lyrics, they explain, are simply a reaction to a state that enables systematic mistreatment.
He told The Guardian: 'I'm not saying it for the purpose of purely being provocative. It's just what I feel.'
Following the provocative Glastonbury show, Bobby Vylan appeared relaxed eating an ice cream, while he said: 'Zionists are crying on socials.'
Bob Vylan just posted this on his Instagram😂 pic.twitter.com/0QB0hbXUeB
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) June 28, 2025