Punk duo spark outrage with “death to IDF” chant at Glastonbury – British Airways dumps ads!
Bobby Vylan doubles down on shocking Glastonbury chant
Punk frontman Bobby Vylan, aka Pascal Robinson-Foster, stirred up a storm this summer by leading Glastonbury’s BBC livestream crowd in shouting “death, death to the IDF.” On The Louis Theroux Podcast, Vylan stood firm, saying he has zero regrets and would “do it again tomorrow.”
“I’m not regretful of it at all. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays,” he declared. “The backlash is minimal compared to what Palestinians face. If my Palestinian friends say, ‘Your chant gave me a breath of fresh air,’ then that’s enough for me.”
British Airways pulls ads over the furore
In response, British Airways pulled their advertising from the podcast immediately. A BA spokesperson told PA News: “Our sponsorship of the series has now been paused and the advert has been removed. We’re grateful this was brought to our attention as the content clearly breaches our sponsorship policy relating to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.”
They are now investigating how the ad slipped past existing safeguards.
Festivals drop band, visas revoked amid backlash
The controversy has cost the punk duo dearly. They’ve been booted from multiple festivals, including Radar and a German venue. Their US tour was cancelled after visas were revoked. Two UK gigs, including a Manchester show, were recently postponed due to “political pressure” following calls from Jewish leaders and MPs to axe the concerts.
Fans rally as Bobby Vylan’s profile soars
Despite the backlash, Bobby Vylan’s fanbase is growing fast. Their album Humble As The Sun shot back to Number 1 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B charts over the summer. The duo has just announced their We Won’t Go Quietly 2025 UK tour.
Louis Theroux has been contacted for comment.
