The Wiltshire-based festival Shindig may have its licensed reviewed with a potential hearing three days before the event opens.
According to the BBC, the festival’s licence will be reconsidered on 18 May over concerns raised by an unknown party regarding “disorder and public safety.” Taking place 21-24 May, the festival is headlined by punk act Bob Vylan, who made headlines in 2025 during his performance at Glastonbury Festival by chanting “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].“
Following the performance, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer branded his comments as “appalling hate speech,” while Bob Vylan’s later planned show at Manchester’s RADAR Festival was cancelled. A planned US tour was also cancelled due to the artist’s visa was revoked.
In a statement to the BBC, a spokesperson for Shindig said it was working with “the artist and the authorities” to ensure it had a “robust plan in place to address these concerns.”
The news follows recent high-profile festival cancellations of acts at major festivals. Following live show comments, in 2025 the Irish rap trio Kneecap were cancelled from events including Cornwall’s Eden Sessions and Plymouth Pavilions, while calls for the band to be pulled from that year’s Glastonbury Festival came from the UK Government. More recently, the American rapper Ye (FKA Kanye West) was barred from entering the UK to perform at London’s Wireless Festival after his past comments. The festival was later cancelled.
Bob Vylan is set to perform at Shindig, Shambala Festival and Bergenfest (Norway).
