Police have formally ended their investigation into Bob Vylan’s controversial Glastonbury performance, confirming that the chants made onstage did not meet the threshold for criminal prosecution.
Avon and Somerset Police launched the inquiry after frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd in chants including “death, death to the IDF” and “free, free Palestine” during the duo’s BBC‑broadcast set at the festival in June. The moment sparked widespread debate, with critics accusing the group of promoting hate speech and political leaders publicly condemning the broadcast. Following the incident, they had their US visas revoked and a series of concerts cancelled.
In a statement, the force confirmed the case has now been closed.
Police said: “We have concluded, after reviewing all the evidence, that it does not meet the criminal threshold outlined by the CPS for any person to be prosecuted.
“No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidential for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
They consulted with other forces across the UK, as well as hate crime leads at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and “an independent barrister”.
A statement continued: “We sought specific consideration around the words stated, in terms of the intent behind them, the wider context of how people heard what was said, case law and anything else potentially relevant, including freedom of speech.
“Consistently the advice we have received has highlighted fundamental evidential difficulties that cannot be ignored.
“The comments made on Saturday 28 June drew widespread anger, proving that words have real-world consequences.
“We believe it is right this matter was comprehensively investigated, every potential criminal offence was thoroughly considered, and we sought all the advice we could to ensure we made an informed decision.”
The police added: “We have proactively engaged with a number of groups, particularly among our Jewish communities, since this incident and provided updates to them throughout.”
Bobby recently appeared on The Louis Theroux Podcast and stated that he had no regrets over his chant at Glastonbury – which was denounced by co-organiser Emily Eavis as being in contradiction to the festival’s ethos of “hope, unity, peace and love”.
When asked by Theroux whether he would do it again, Bobby replied: “Oh yeah. Like what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again.
“I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays.”
Bobby – whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster – insisted the subsequent backlash the duo faced was “minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through”.