'Death to the IDF' chant echoes through Glastonbury Festival amid Gaza war anger

A rap duo on stage at the Glastonbury Festival led chants of “death to the IDF”, a reference to the Israeli army, during their Saturday performance, as pro-Palestinian sentiment surged among festivalgoers.

London-based group Bob Vylan delivered the chant multiple times while on stage, prompting some in the crowd - some waving Palestinian flags - to echo the words.

The performance came just before a scheduled appearance by Northern Irish hip hop group Kneecap, whose vocal support for Palestinian rights has already drawn political scrutiny.

The BBC streamed Bob Vylan’s set live without censoring the chant or lyrics, though it later blocked the live broadcast of Kneecap’s set, alleging editorial guidelines.

Bob Vylan - comprising vocalist/guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan - are known for fusing punk, grime and hip-hop with socially conscious themes. Their lyrics frequently address racism, mental health, and gentrification in Britain’s Black communities.

Earlier in the day, British-Turkish singer Nilufer Yanya’s set included a backdrop that read “Free Free Palestine”, and a banner supporting Palestine was unfurled on stage.

Tensions around Kneecap’s Glastonbury appearance had been mounting. One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, faces a terrorism-related charge after allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a performance last year.

He has yet to enter a plea and is due in court on 20 August. In a May statement, Kneecap called the charge baseless and said they would “vehemently defend” themselves. Hezbollah is a proscribed group under UK law.

Festival organiser Emily Eavis defended the lineup, saying Glastonbury remains a space for diverse voices and that “everyone is welcome here”.

'We Are All Palestine Action'

Shortly before Kneecap performance at Glastonbury Festival, Og O hAnnaidh wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “We Are All Palestine Action.”

Og O hAnnaidh appeared in the shirt referencing the direct action network Palestine Action, known for targeting entities connected to Israel’s arms trade and it's ongoing war on Gaza.

The photograph was published on the band’s official X account just an hour ahead of their scheduled set.

The British government is set to ban the direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton, the largest airbase in Britain, earlier this month and spray-painted two planes while on electric scooters.

The activists then evaded security and escaped the base, which they said they targeted because flights leave there daily "for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, a base used for military operations in Gaza and across the Middle East".

In response, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has drafted a proscription order aimed at outlawing the organisation, expected to be tabled in Parliament on Monday. If enacted, the measure would make it a criminal offence to be affiliated with, or to promote, the group.

Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury Festival proceeded despite attempts to censor the musicians, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who earlier in the week stated that the group "should not be performing at Glastonbury." 

Festival organisers issued a crowd management advisory ahead of Kneecap’s show, warning attendees of potential congestion and encouraging alternative entertainment plans should the field reach capacity.