Festival with Bob Vylan as headliner will be put under review just three days before opening
The punk-rap duo was at the centre of Glastonbury controversy last summer
A music festival with punk-rap band Bob Vylan as its headliner is having its licence reviewed – just three days before the 10,000 capacity event is due to take place.
Wiltshire councillors are looking again at the licence for Shindig Festival, set to take place at Charlton Park near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, after an application from an unknown source was made to review it.
The festival is due to be held from May 21 to 24 - but the Northern Area Licensing sub-committee will re-examine its license just three days earlier, on May 18.
Bob Vylan hit headlines last summer when, at Glastonbury Festival, they led a chant of “Death, death to the IDF.”
The political chant emerged during the Gaza war and genocide, and refers to the Israel Defense Forces, the country's military.
The chant was condemned at the time by Glastonbury Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and put the then-BBC Director-General Tim Davie in the hot seat over the corporation's broadcasting of the chant.
Avon & Somerset Police opened an investigation into whether the chant constituted hate speech or incitement to violence, but in December they said it did not meet the criminal threshold for any person to be prosecuted.
When Shindig Festival organisers announced Bob Vylan as the headliner in February, they described the act as "one of the most vital, fearless and electrifying live acts in the UK right now."
"Expect high-energy, sharp lyricism and a reputation for using music as a force for conversation and change.
"We believe art should challenge as well as unite. This will be powerful. This will be loud. And above all, it will be Shindig."
At the time, Wiltshire Council said it “does not have any influence on the choice of artists, but will work closely with colleagues in other organisations to ensure all relevant legislation is complied with."
The council also said the licence had been granted in 2025.
But Cllr Paul Sample, cabinet member for environment, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We can confirm that an application has been received to review the premises licence for Shindig Festival.
“The application has been made on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.
“The application is currently subject to the statutory consultation period, which runs until May 6. Following the close of consultation, the review will be considered by the licensing sub‑committee on May 18.”
Any resident can request that the local council reconsider and potentially change the status of a licensed premises - though it is not known who made this particular request.