Police Open Criminal Investigation After Bob Vylan And Kneecap's Glastonbury Sets
On Saturday afternoon, both acts performed on Glastonbury's West Holts stage, where they each made headlines for their impassioned comments in support of Palestine, in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Most notably, Bob Vylan's frontman led the crowd in a chant of 'free Palestine', before beginning another chant of 'death to the IDF', referring to Israel's army.
While Avon and Somerset Police initially said they were assessing video footage from the event, they shared an update on Monday afternoon.
Please see the statement below with an update on our investigation into comments made on stage at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday.An accessible version of the statement can be found on our website: https://t.co/aSjbcIYSkypic.twitter.com/w1BM5Bg5b2
— Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) June 30, 2025
'Video footage and audio from Bob Vylan and Kneecap's performances at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday has been reviewed,' their statement read. 'Following the completion of that assessment process we have decided further enquiries are required and a criminal investigation is now being undertaken. A senior detective has been appointed to lead this investigation.'
They added: 'We have received a large amount of contact in relation to these events from people across the world and recognise the strength of public feeling. There is absolutely no place in society for hate.
'Neighbourhood policing teams are speaking with people in their local communities and key stakeholders to make sure anyone who needs us knows that we are here for them. We hope the work we have carried out, and are continuing to carry out, reassures the public how seriously we are treating Saturday's events.'
In the days since Glastonbury took place, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, the BBC – who broadcast Bob Vylan's set live – and organisers of the festival have all spoken out to condemn the frontman's actions.
Responding to questions – including from Starmer – about how the punk rap duo's comments came to be broadcast in full on iPlayer, a spokesperson for the BBC said on Monday: 'With hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.
'In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air.'
The BBC also branded the comments made by Bobby Vylan, the frontman of the group, about the IDF 'antisemitic'.
HuffPost UK contacted Bob Vylan's team on Monday for comment, but did not receive a response, while Bobby previously responded to the furore in an Instagram post captioned: 'I said what I said.'
The duo have also had their US work visas revoked, as well as reportedly being dropped by their agents at UTA (United Talent Agency).
Avon and Somerset Police did not specify which parts of Bob Vylan or Kneecap's performances had triggered the investigation.
In the lead-up to Glastonbury, Kneecap had repeatedly been at the centre of scrutiny after band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known to fans of the group by his stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terror offence, after allegedly brandishing the flag of the proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah during a gig in London towards the end of last year, which he was allegedly handed by a fan.
Kneecap previously insisted: 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.'
Prior to that, they claimed they'd been made the victims of a 'witch-hunt' and 'smear campaign' due to their past support of Palestine, and later also insisted: 'Let us be unequivocal. We do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay.'
The BBC previously faced backlash over their decision not to air Kneecap's set live, although an edited version is still available to stream on its iPlayer service.
During their set, Kneecap led the Glastonbury crowd in a chant of 'fuck Keir Starmer', after the UK prime minister called for them to be dropped from the festival's line-up, while performer Móglaí Bap claimed his bandmate's 'trumped up terrorism charge' was 'not the first time there was a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British justice system'.
Referring to the sea of Palestinian flags in the audience, Mo Chara also suggested that the 'BBC editor is going to have some job'.
BBC Issues Fresh Statement In Response To Backlash Over Bob Vylan Glastonbury Broadcast
Here's What Actually Went Down When Kneecap Performed At Glastonbury
Bob Vylan Frontman Breaks Silence After Glastonbury Controversy Sparks Police Investigation
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