Bob Vylan sues BBC for defamation over Glastonbury chants

The London punk-rap duo Bob Vylan has announced it is taking legal action against the BBC, alleging the broadcaster defamed them by labeling their controversial 2025 Glastonbury performance as antisemitic. The group, comprised of vocalist Bobby Vylan (Pascal Robinson-Foster) and drummer Bobbie Vylan (Wade Laurence George), made the announcement on their social media accounts on Friday, July 3, 2026.

The lawsuit stems from the duo's performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2025, during which they led the crowd in chants of "Death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces. The BBC, which livestreamed the set, later expressed deep regret for broadcasting it, calling the comments "utterly unacceptable" and "offensive and deplorable." The corporation stated the livestream should have been stopped and removed the recording from its on-demand service, iPlayer.

In their statement, Bob Vylan accused the BBC of "placing labels upon us that did not, do not and never will fit." They further alleged the publicly funded broadcaster has attempted "to silence those that oppose the heinous crimes taking place in Palestine, instead labelling them as antisemitic, editing their...