The Shindig Festival in Wiltshire is scheduled to take place from May 21 to 24 at Charlton Park, but its licence is under review due to concerns about disorder and public safety. The scrutiny follows Bob Vylan's controversial performance at Glastonbury 2025. Organisers are working with authorities to address the issues.
Shindig Festival has announced that Bob Vylan will headline on Sunday alongside Fat Dog and War. The event's licence, granted last year by Wiltshire Council, is set for reconsideration on May 18, just three days before the festival begins. Councillor Paul Sample stated that the review was requested by an unknown party on grounds of preventing crime, disorder, and ensuring public safety, prompted by Bob Vylan's set at Glastonbury 2025 on the West Holts Stage, where frontman Bobby Vylan led chants of “death, death to the IDF” leading to a police investigation by Avon and Somerset Police. That probe, involving a voluntary interview with a man in his mid-30s and discussions with about 200 members of the public, was dropped in December after evidence review showed no basis for prosecution. Avon and Somerset Police 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 was taken due to insufficient evidence for conviction. Bobby Vylan responded that the investigation was “never warranted,” describing the Glastonbury performance as “evidently not hateful” but “a display of solidarity with the Palestinian people.” He added he was “not regretful” and would repeat the remarks. A festival spokesperson emphasised, “Safety has always come first at Shindig... We are working closely with our production team, the artist and the authorities to ensure we have a robust plan in place to address these concerns.” Previously, Shindig praised Bob Vylan as “one of the most vital, fearless and electrifying live acts in the UK right now,” who “use music as a force for conversation and change.”
