English rap-punk duo Bob Vylan’s U.S. tour appears to be over before it even started. On Monday, the Trump administration announced it had revoked visas for the group’s members, following a controversial performance at the Glastonbury Festival in England over the weekend.
In a statement posted to X, State Department Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau said lead singer Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, both of whom perform under pseudonyms, had been banned from entering the U.S. due to “their hateful tirade at Glastonbury.”
“Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Landau added.
The State Department’s decision came after the group’s appearance at the popular music festival on Saturday sparked intense backlash. During their performance, which was livestreamed on the BBC, Bobby Vylan led the crowds in chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Behind the duo, a screen displayed the messages “Free Palestine“ and “United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘conflict,’” referring to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
The BBC has since said it should have cut away from the broadcast, writing in a statement issued on Monday: “The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
In statement on Instagram, organizers of Glastonbury — England’s largest festival — said they were “appalled” by the duo’s performance: “Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.” According to the group’s website, Bob Vylan was scheduled to kick off the “grandson North America Tour” in October, with almost 20 shows already planned in cities across the U.S. But without visas, that tour will likely be canceled. On Sunday, Bobby Vylan addressed the controversy in a lengthy post on Instagram saying, “I said what I said.” The artist wrote that he had been “inundated with messages of both support and hatred.” “Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,” he wrote. “As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.”
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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