On September 9, 2025, the simmering controversy between punk rap duo Bob Vylan and BBC director general Tim Davie erupted into the public eye once again, as Davie appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in Westminster to defend the broadcaster’s recent actions. The session came at the tail end of a bruising summer for the BBC, marked by a series of scandals and high-profile resignations, and it placed the Glastonbury 2025 incident squarely at the heart of the debate over artistic expression, antisemitism, and institutional accountability.
The flashpoint for this latest chapter in the saga was Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury Festival in June. During their set, lead singer Bobby Vylan led the crowd in a chant of “Death to the IDF,” referencing the Israeli Defence Forces. The moment was broadcast live on BBC iPlayer, reaching a vast audience before being pulled from the platform just hours later. The performance quickly drew criticism from some quarters, with Bury North MP James Frith alleging that the band had whipped the crowd into an “antisemitic frenzy.”
Tim Davie, facing MPs on September 9, did not mince words about the BBC’s decision to air the performance. “I don’t think I misread it, I just got there [to Glastonbury] when I heard about it [at] about five o’clock … the performance was well done by then, and at that point I knew absolutely that it was an antisemitic broadcast,” Davie stated, according to The Independent. He described the broadcast as “deeply disturbing,” adding, “My decision was to get that off on demand, simple as that, I mean, it wasn’t too complicated in my mind.”
The BBC’s subsequent apology for airing the performance did little to quell the storm. Davie conceded, “The BBC made a very significant mistake in broadcasting the performance on iPlayer.” In response to the furore, the broadcaster announced it would no longer live-stream performances it deemed “high risk,” a move that has drawn both support and criticism from various quarters.
Bob Vylan, for their part, have fiercely rejected the characterization of their Glastonbury set as antisemitic or criminal. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on September 9, the band declared, “Tim Davie is a spineless puppet. There was nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury. Why do you think Metropolitan Police and Avon and Somerset Police are taking so long?” They pointed out that, despite ongoing investigations, no charges have been brought against them. The band also claimed that some BBC staff “loved the performance and saw nothing wrong with it until they were told there was something wrong with it.”
The fallout from the incident extended beyond the band and the BBC’s executive suite. Lorna Clarke, the BBC’s former head of music and a Black woman, stepped back from her role following the controversy. Bob Vylan were quick to highlight the racial dynamics at play, writing, “Lorna Clarke, a Black woman, was so quickly dismissed from her duties after Glastonbury. Why? Someone had to fall and who easier to take it than a Black woman. But now [Davie is] getting grilled and is showing just how incompetent and bought HE is.”
As the BBC’s leadership faced MPs, the Glastonbury incident was just one of several scandals under examination. The committee also grilled Davie and BBC chair Samir Shah about the corporation’s handling of a Gaza documentary—pulled after it emerged the child narrator was the son of a Hamas official—and the fallout from allegations against the presenters of MasterChef. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had previously dubbed these events “a series of catastrophic failures,” and the BBC’s editorial standards, impartiality, and leadership were all called into question.
Davie, however, sought to project confidence and a commitment to reform. He told MPs, “I think things have changed since we last talked to the committee, we are seeing people call it out, and that is a positive change, but it’s ongoing work. I don’t think you can change culture in six months and suddenly say nothing’s going to occur. We may see more things coming out, because in some ways I’m asking for it, and being utterly transparent and running towards the problem, that’s what we need to do.” Shah echoed this sentiment, asserting, “No one is irreplaceable. Absolutely no one, seriously, no one.”
The BBC’s response to the Glastonbury broadcast was further complicated by external pressures. Bob Vylan revealed they had been dropped by their agency, had their US visas revoked, and remained under criminal investigation for their performance. Despite the personal and professional toll, the band has remained defiant, announcing a new UK headline tour for November and December 2025, titled “We Won’t Go Quietly.” In their words: “After all the attempts to silence us, we’re about to be louder than ever. We won’t go quietly!”
The Glastonbury organisers themselves weighed in, stating they were “appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan.” Yet, the band insists their intent was to “teach our children to speak up for the change they want” and to advocate for the “dismantling of a violent military machine,” not to incite hatred against Jews, Arabs, or any other group. “We were not calling for the death of Jews or Arabs or any other race or group,” they have reiterated.
Meanwhile, the BBC’s internal reckoning continues. In the wake of the summer’s scandals, Davie told MPs he had not considered resignation but admitted to feeling the pressure, stating, “People in top jobs should be held accountable.” He defended the BBC’s role in public life and signaled that the broadcaster is “resetting the industry,” even as it faces a looming battle over the future of the licence fee and ongoing scrutiny from both politicians and the public.
The controversy has also reignited debate over the BBC’s approach to sensitive political issues and the boundaries of free expression. Critics of the broadcaster accuse it of caving to political pressure and stifling dissent, while supporters argue that it must take a stand against hate speech and uphold editorial standards. The BBC, for its part, maintains that it “respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence,” and called the “anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan… utterly unacceptable.”
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the Glastonbury incident has become a lightning rod for larger questions about the role of public broadcasters, the limits of artistic expression, and the responsibilities of institutions in an era of heightened political and social tension. With Bob Vylan’s tour set to begin in November and the BBC bracing for further scrutiny, the story is far from over—and both sides seem determined not to go quietly.
