Photo Credit: Ithaka Darin Pappas / CC by 4.0
The fallout from British rap-punk grime duo Bob Vylan’s set at Glastonbury Festival 2025 has grown rapidly. Major industry and governmental repercussions have now landed for the band—UTA dropped them and the US State Department has revoked their travel visas.
During their performance on the festival’s West Holts Stage, Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of “death, death to the IDF” and used the controversial “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” phrase. The set was broadcast live on BBC iPlayer before being removed from the platform in the hours following the performance.
United Talent Agency (UTA) one of the world’s largest talent agencies, acted swiftly in response to the controversy. As of Monday, Bob Vylan no longer appears on UTA’s roster and sources within the agency confirmed that the decision to sever ties was made promptly after the festival. UTA has not issued a public statement, nor responded to comments for request about the decision. This move marks a significant industry consequence for the duo, who have also reportedly been dropped by their management team.
The U.S. State Department took even more direct action, revoking Bob Vylan’s travel visas ahead of their scheduled North American tour. The tour was slated to kick off in October 2025 with stops in over 20 cities across America. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted on X: “The State Department has revoked US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.”
“Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” he concludes. Festival organizers and BBC quickly condemned the chants, with organizers reminding attendees that “antisemitism, hate speech, and incitement to violence have no place at Glastonbury.”
Bob Vylan’s Bobby Vylan responded to the backlash on his Instagram page, writing: “I said what I said” and encouraging future generations to “pick up the torch that was passed to us.” Meanwhile, British police have launched a criminal investigation into the chants, reviewing footage to determine if any laws were broken. The fallout from this has left Bob Vylan without agency representation, barred form touring the United States, and at the center of ongoing legal and public scrutiny.
