Bob Vylan’s U.S. Tour Canceled After State Department Revokes Their Visas Due To Pro-Palestine Statements

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Baila Eve ZismanJuly 5, 2025, 9:36 pmNews >

Following their controversial performance at the U.K. music festival Glastonbury, British band Bob Vylan has officially had their U.S. visas revoked by the U.S. Department of State, effectively shutting down the North American leg of their tour that was slated to kick off in the fall.

At the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, the lead singer of Bob Vylan led the crowd in spirited chants of “free Palestine” and “death to the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces]!” The punk-rap duo has since received significant backlash for their performance, with politicians calling the demonstration “disgusting” and “antisemitic.”

Festival organizer Emily Eavis released a statement saying, “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.”

On June 30, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X, “The @StateDept has revoked the 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.”

The lead singer of Bob Vylan declared he stood by his actions via Instagram, writing in the caption of his post, “I said what I said.” In the post.\, he asserted the importance of speaking up and stated, “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.”

Bob Vylan was set to start their North American tour in Spokane, Washington, on October 24 and continue to make stops in 18 other cities, including Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York and Philadelphia.

United Talent Agency, Bob Vylan’s booking agent, has reportedly dropped the band.

The BBC, which was streaming the event live, removed the performance from its digital platform and released an apology stating, “With hindsight, we should have pulled the stream during the performance.”

Bob Vylan was formed in 2017 and is comprised of singer Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan. The band is known for using their music to address political themes, including systematic racism, police brutality and the negative implications of right-wing politics.