LONDON — The U.S. State Department's visa ban against British punk duo Bob Vylan, imposed a year ago over chants made during the group's Glastonbury Festival performance, remains in effect, with the band continuing to face scrutiny from U.K. police over similar remarks made at a London demonstration earlier this year.
The State Department revoked visas for Bob Vylan's two members, who perform under the names Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, on June 30, 2025, after the duo led crowds at Glastonbury in chants of "death, death to the IDF," a reference to the Israel Defense Forces, and "free, free Palestine." Then-Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time that the visas were revoked "in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants," adding that "foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors" to the United States. The ban forced cancellation of a planned U.S. tour that had been scheduled to begin that October.
Avon and Somerset Police, which had opened a criminal investigation into the Glastonbury chants, announced in December 2025 that no further action would be taken against the band following guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service. The force said the decision did not minimize the distress caused by the comments and noted it had engaged with Jewish community representatives throughout the inquiry.
The Metropolitan Police opened a separate investigation in March 2026 after Bobby Vylan, whose legal name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, repeated the "death to the IDF" chant while speaking at London's Al Quds Day demonstration. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said at the time the force was "aware of chanting made by a speaker" at the protest and would investigate, citing concern among London's Jewish communities. Robinson-Foster publicly criticized the new inquiry, noting on social media that two earlier investigations into the same phrase had both concluded with no charges.
The Metropolitan Police has not publicly announced the outcome of that investigation. Band members have said they do not regret their statements and have continued to make public appearances in the United Kingdom.
The State Department has not indicated any change to the visa revocation, and no new U.S. tour dates have been announced by the band.
