The world-renowned music festival, the United Kingdom's Glastonbury Festival, boasts a history of 55 years, and this year it has been marred by blatant political agitation and hate slogans.
In particular, a slogan against Israel erupted during a concert broadcast live worldwide through public broadcaster BBC, leading to criticism that the essence of the festival, which is 'human peace and harmony through music,' had been compromised.
According to major UK media outlets including BBC and Sky News on the 29th (local time), during a performance on the 28th at the Glastonbury West Holtz stage, British punk duo Bob Vylan chanted hate slogans with the audience, saying, 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).' This scene was broadcast live worldwide by BBC.
On the same day, the Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, performing at another location, shouted the slogan 'Free, Free Palestine' and hurled insults at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Group member Liam O'Hanlon has already been charged with waving a flag of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah during a performance in London last November.
The UK judicial authorities designated the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in 2019 and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in 2021. Public expressions of support for these terrorist organizations can lead to a maximum prison sentence of 14 years under anti-terrorism laws.
Prime Minister Starmer previously opposed, saying that '(some artists) should not perform at Glastonbury,' but the organizers proceeded with their appearances.
UK police are reviewing the videos and investigating whether a criminal offense occurred. BBC announced that it would not rebroadcast the performance.
The Israeli side defined these remarks as 'incendiary and hate-filled rhetoric' and officially expressed 'deep displeasure.'
The Times of Israel reported, 'Chanting slogans like “Death to the IDF” in front of thousands of spectators can normalize extremist language and glamorize violence.'
Glastonbury is a world-renowned music festival that began in 1970 and is held annually in Somerset, UK. It boasts a rich history and symbolism beyond just a music event. Each year, over 200,000 spectators and about 4,000 artists participate in the performances. The 120 stages installed on a site the size of 500 soccer fields showcase the largest scale among makeshift concert venues in the world. Despite its scale, tickets are so popular that they sell out within minutes of going on sale.
Glastonbury expressed that it was 'appalled' by this incident. It emphasized, 'The slogans of these artists crossed a line,' adding, 'There is no place for anti-Semitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence at Glastonbury.'
For more than 50 years, Glastonbury has represented progressive values advocating for freedom, peace, and social change in a moderate manner.
Since 1981, it has received support from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). It later installed a peace symbol at the top of the pyramid stage, corresponding to the main stage, to convey a social message.
This year's sponsorship was largely handled by progressive organizations such as Oxfam, Greenpeace, and WaterAid. Glastonbury has been continuing its positive function as a music festival by donating about £1.9 million (approximately 320 million won) to charities each year.
Even without asserting specific political slogans or colors, officials noted that this sponsorship method maintained a progressive hue and fulfilled positive values of human unity.
There is a positive view that music festivals can become a platform for social discourse beyond mere entertainment. At the 1969 Woodstock Festival, Jimi Hendrix delivered an anti-Vietnam War message.
Glastonbury has also voiced its opinion on various political and social issues such as opposition to Brexit and climate change. In 2017, former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn took to the stage. In 2022, the organizers displayed a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, there are growing concerns that recent movements toward politicization are escalating to the level of promoting hate and violence.
In April, at the U.S. Coachella Festival, popular rock band Green Day changed the lyrics of their hit song 'American Idiot' to criticize the policies of the Trump administration. Psychedelic band Darkseid made statements supporting Palestine during their performance by mentioning American indigenous peoples.
Experts have evaluated that such political statements distort the essence of the festival and pose a risk of creating division among the audience.
There are divided opinions in the UK over the boundaries between 'freedom of expression' and 'hate speech.' Whether chanting political slogans or hate speech in front of countless spectators who have paid to attend the performance can indeed be considered a legitimate artistic act is a heated debate.
Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis said, 'People who do not agree with the political leanings of the event can go elsewhere.'