Bob Vylan is taking the BBC to court following the Glastonbury controversy

London punk rap duo Bob Vylan announced on Friday via social media that they are taking legal action against the BBC. The British public broadcaster allegedly misrepresented the duo following their performance at Glastonbury 2025, applying labels that the band says are completely unfounded. The case centres on alleged defamation and represents the lowest point so far in a series of legal and social conflicts Bob Vylan has faced over recent months.

During Glastonbury 2025, frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd on the West Holts Stage in chants including "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF," a reference to the Israeli armed forces. A banner on stage also read: "Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a 'conflict.'" He also called out from the crowd: "From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free." The BBC broadcast the performance live but later expressed regret, called the duo's behaviour "offensive and deplorable," and apologised to Jewish viewers. In a statement from July 2025, the broadcaster also made clear it was "unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC." The set was subsequently made unavailable for on demand viewing.

Bob Vylan themselves maintain that the BBC wrongly branded them as antisemitic. In their statement, the band members say the broadcaster "wasted no time in placing labels upon us that did not, do not and never will fit." They also accuse the BBC of actively working to suppress voices speaking out against what they describe as crimes in Gaza, including by editing content, removing material, and blocking documentaries, all while being largely funded by taxpayer money. "We take great pleasure in serving them that reminder in court," the duo said.

The fallout from the Glastonbury performance hit Bob Vylan hard on multiple fronts. British police opened an investigation into the duo, though it was closed without charges. The US government revoked the band's visas, making a tour of the United States impossible. They were also dropped from festival lineups, and a planned tour with Gogol Bordello fell through. At the same time, the duo has also notched some legal and moral wins: a newspaper in Manchester issued an apology after publishing a false story about alleged Nazi salutes by the band, and Irish public broadcaster RTÉ also received a defamation claim after describing the Glastonbury chants as antisemitic. Following the festival, Bob Vylan clarified that their words were directed at a military machine, not at any group of people or ethnic community.

The BBC case is therefore the most high profile step Bob Vylan has taken so far in what is shaping up to be a broad legal strategy. For music fans in the Netherlands and across Europe, the case stands out as one of the most striking examples of artists bringing political activism to the stage and then facing institutional responses that directly affect their careers. How the lawsuit will unfold remains to be seen. The duo's most recent release is "Light Up," a collaboration with Australian hip hop duo Hermitude.