An investigation into chants by rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury Festival in June will not lead to any further action by prosecutors as there is “insufficient” evidence for there to be “a realistic prospect of conviction”, Avon and Somerset Police said.
In a statement, the force 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.”
Frontman, Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led chants of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” during their BBC live streamed performance at the Worthy Farm festival in June.
The force said it conducted a voluntary interview with a man in his mid-thirties, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, in November over the incident, adding he was informed of the outcome earlier on Tuesday.
The force added: “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.”
It comes after the Met Police said they would close their own investigation into a London performance, following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Following their Glastonbury appearance, Bob Vylan were dropped from a number of festivals and performances, including Radar festival, a show at a German music venue and a US tour after their visas were revoked.
In an interview with Louis Theroux in October, Mr Robinson-Foster said he was “not regretful” of the chant and would “do it again tomorrow”.
Earlier this month, the group launched defamation proceedings against Irish national broadcaster RTE, alleging the broadcaster engaged in defamation by claiming the band’s lead singer led antisemitic chants during the Glastonbury performance.
High Court records show that legal documents were filed by Phoenix Law, acting on behalf of both Robinson-Foster and drummer Wade Laurence George.
The firm stated: “The proceedings arise from a broadcast aired by RTE News following Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury Festival on June 28 2025. During this broadcast, comments were made alleging that the lead singer of Bob Vylan led antisemitic chants. These allegations are categorically denied by our clients and are entirely untrue.”
Phoenix Law clarified that Bob Vylan had made statements expressing support for Palestinian self-determination and criticising military actions by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The statement added that the comments did not target Jewish people or express hatred towards any group, concluding: “The comments made were politically charged but not antisemitic in nature.”
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