In a surprising turn of events, the punk rap duo Bob Vylan will no longer be headlining the Radar Festival in Manchester this weekend. This decision comes just days after the band led chants of "death to the IDF" during their performance at Glastonbury, which was livestreamed on BBC.
The performance at the West Holts Stage on Saturday sparked an immediate backlash, with the corporation issuing an apology for airing the antisemitic and unacceptable chants that referenced the Israeli military.
Following the controversy, Avon and Somerset Police launched a criminal investigation after reviewing footage of performances at Glastonbury by Bob Vylan and Irish hip hop trio Kneecap. The Metropolitan Police has also opened a separate investigation, following allegations that Bob Vylan called for "death to every single IDF soldier" at a gig in London in May.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Radar Festival, which takes place at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, announced that Bob Vylan will not be appearing at the festival. The festival lineup now reads "headliner TBC". In response, the group shared the festival's statement on their Instagram story, adding the caption: "Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester we will be back."
The band has faced further sanctions, including the revocation of their visas to tour in the US and being pulled from an upcoming performance at a German music venue.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bob Vylan said they were being "targeted for speaking up" after the police opened their investigation. They clarified that they are not for the death of any race or group of people but for the dismantling of a violent military machine.
During the performance at Glastonbury, Bobby Vylan, one half of the duo, also led the crowd in chants of "Free, free Palestine". Kneecap, who performed after Bob Vylan, was also charged with a terror offence in June for displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig last year.
The BBC has faced strong criticism for continuing to livestream the Bob Vylan performance on iPlayer with on-screen warnings about discriminatory language. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy criticized the BBC over its decision not to pull the livestream during the chants on Saturday and said there is "a problem of leadership" at the corporation.
Bob Vylan was formed in Ipswich in 2017 and is known for addressing political issues in their albums, including racism, masculinity, and class. The group is scheduled to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall in August.
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