Glastonbury has long branded itself as more than just a music festival.
For many, it’s a symbol of progressive ideals – peace, love, unity, and social justice, all wrapped up in a few muddy days of music.
But for British Jews watching events unfold on stage this year, that message may have felt disturbingly hollow.
What was meant to be a celebration of global harmony turned, for some, into something far darker.
Punk Protest or Pure Hate? The Moment That Crossed a Line
During their set, punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of “Free, free Palestine” – something many have come to expect from politically active performers.
But when those chants morphed into “Death, death to the IDF,” the tone shifted dramatically.
Thousands echoed the call back with such intensity that the scene felt like something from a bygone era – disturbing, frenzied, and completely out of step with the festival’s claimed values.
For many Jewish observers, this wasn’t just a chant against Israel’s military.
It felt deeply personal. Because when you target the IDF – the defense force of the world’s only Jewish state – many interpret that as a thinly veiled attack on Jews as a whole.
What It Feels Like to Be Jewish at Glastonbury in 2025
Now imagine being a Jewish festival-goer, standing in that crowd.
The vibe of peace and acceptance doesn’t feel so warm anymore.
The chanting, the flags, the aggressive slogans – it can start to feel more like hostility than solidarity.
Sacha Baron Cohen once joked in Borat about a game called “Hunt the Jew.” At the time, it was clearly satire.
But watching these chants unfold in real life makes that once absurd line feel disturbingly close to reality.
A Rise in Anti-Semitism That Can’t Be Ignored
Since the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas, which left 1,200 Israelis dead, the UK has seen a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents.
From January to June last year alone, there was a 41% increase in assaults against Jews.
But the violence is just one part of the story. What’s even more concerning for many British Jews is the shift in public discourse – where open hostility toward Israel often blurs into hatred of Jewish people themselves.
Events like Glastonbury now feel like another example of that toxic trend playing out in real time.
A Dangerous Double Standard
Here’s the uncomfortable question: What if a performer had stood on stage and screamed “Death to Muslims”? There would be immediate outrage, police intervention, and widespread condemnation – as there should be.
But when the target is Jewish? Applause. Cheers. Social media celebration.
That’s the painful double standard that many Jews in Britain say they face right now.
And it’s not just at Glastonbury.
Will There Be Accountability?
The Bob Vylan performance raised serious legal questions.
After all, incitement to violence is a crime. Yet, given the current climate, it’s unlikely anything will happen.
The law seems to be applied very selectively.
Compare this with other recent examples, like Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for inciting violence through social media posts.
The disparity in enforcement leaves many feeling that anti-Semitic hate is tolerated where other hate is not.
Palestine Flags Everywhere – But No Room for Nuance
For Jewish festival-goers, it’s not just the chants.
It’s the sheer volume of political messaging. Palestinian flags are everywhere.
Leaders of Palestine Action – a group the UK government is expected to designate as a terrorist organisation – are given a platform.
No counter-voices are welcomed. It’s one narrative, shouted loudly, with no room for conversation.
And then there’s the rapper from Kneecap, J J O Dochartaigh, wearing a “We are all Palestine Action” shirt and leading the crowd in another “Free Palestine” chant.
It all contributes to a feeling that Glastonbury is no longer neutral ground.
When Progressive Values Become a Cover for Intolerance
At its heart, the issue isn’t about free speech.
It’s about how progressive spaces like Glastonbury, which claim to celebrate peace and inclusion, are becoming places where one kind of hatred is cheered – as long as it’s directed at the “right” target.
That warped moral compass is why so many Jews in Britain are worried.
A crowd that once prided itself on love and tolerance has become comfortable echoing messages that many feel carry chilling echoes of a darker past.
So What’s Next?
Events like Glastonbury are cultural barometers.
They show us what is socially acceptable – and what is not.
Right now, what they’re revealing is a concerning blind spot in modern progressive movements.
If the people shouting “Death to the IDF” truly want peace and justice, maybe it’s time to start by listening to the people who feel unsafe in the crowd – not just the ones leading the chant.