BBC to drop ‘high risk’ live performances after Bob Vylan Glastonbury set

Published : 21:36, 3 July 2025
The BBC has announced it will no longer live stream or broadcast in real time any musical acts it deems “high risk,” following public and political backlash over the punk duo Bob Vylan’s controversial performance at Glastonbury Festival last Saturday.
During their set, frontman Bobby Vylan (real name Pascal Robinson-Foster) led the crowd in chanting "death to the IDF" — a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. Though the BBC initially placed on-screen warnings for viewers, the live stream continued and remained accessible on BBC iPlayer for several hours. This decision has sparked outrage and led to intense scrutiny of the broadcaster’s editorial processes.
BBC Admits Mistakes, Promises Reforms
The BBC acknowledged that Bob Vylan had been flagged as “high risk” before the festival. Despite this, a decision was made to allow a live broadcast with "appropriate mitigations" such as content warnings. The broadcaster now concedes that this approach was “clearly not sufficient.”
“This was an error,” the BBC said in a statement, confirming that disciplinary action will be taken against those directly involved in the decision to keep the broadcast live.
The corporation also promised to:
Withdraw live streaming of any future “high risk” performances.
Offer stronger editorial support and guidance to teams managing such events.
Improve real-time compliance procedures.
Political Pressure and Public Apologies
The BBC Director General Tim Davie, who was present at Glastonbury shortly after the performance, ordered the footage removed from all platforms — but technical issues caused delays. He later issued a direct apology to Jewish staff and the broader community, saying:
“I deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC… There can be no place for antisemitism at the BBC.”
Lisa Nandy, the UK culture secretary, criticized the incident, saying that multiple editorial mistakes reflected a deeper “problem of leadership.”
However, Davie received support from BBC chair Samir Shah, who called the broadcast “an error of judgment” but praised the quick response.
Band Responds: "We’re Being Targeted"
Bob Vylan defended their performance, claiming they were being targeted for raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people,” the band said. “Whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction… The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity?”