Radar Festival Explains Decision to Drop Bob Vylan After Controversial Glastonbury Performance

Radar Festival organizer Catherine Jackson-Smith opened up about the difficult decision to remove punk-rap duo Bob Vylan from its 2025 lineup following their controversial performance at Glastonbury. The duo sparked outrage by leading chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ during their set, alongside harsh criticism aimed at the BBC and the US and UK governments. Despite the backlash, Jackson-Smith stressed that the festival didn’t want to cancel Bob Vylan, but was left with no choice after behind-the-scenes pressures from the venue’s co-owners and local authorities. The ultimatum was clear: cancel Bob Vylan’s set or risk losing the entire Saturday program. Jackson-Smith explained that the situation became untenable, as continuing with the band could have endangered the festival as a whole. Bob Vylan has since been removed from other festivals, their agency dropped them, and their US visas have been revoked. While the festival struggles to secure a last-minute replacement, Jackson-Smith acknowledged that they might end up with an act that has no discernible political stance to avoid further controversy.