Displaying items by tag: Glastonbury

BBC director-general Tim Davie has told Jewish staff he is 'appalled' by anti-IDF chants during punk band Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set, acknowledging 'deep upset' among employees. The band led some of the crowd in chanting 'Death to the IDF’, remarks Davie condemned as 'deeply offensive'. Though he attended the festival, the BBC’s livestream of the performance remained online for hours before removal, sparking criticism from staff, the Chief Rabbi, and government ministers. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy demanded rapid reforms, criticising the broadcaster’s handling of the incident and its earlier decision to withdraw a Gaza documentary linked to a Hamas official’s son. Meanwhile, over 400 figures, including BBC staff and prominent artists, signed an open letter accusing the BBC of failing to report critically on Israel’s actions and UK arms sales. The controversy adds to growing internal and external scrutiny of the BBC’s leadership and editorial decisions. Davie insists that there is no place for antisemitism at the BBC.

This year, over 200,000 attended the Glastonbury festival, to enjoy performances by major stars like Dua Lipa and Coldplay. Christian music took an unexpected spotlight when singer and teacher James Partridge led the crowd in worship songs remembered from primary school assemblies. Viral videos showed festival-goers enthusiastically singing and waving their arms to classics like ‘He's got the whole world in His hands’, ‘Shine, Jesus, shine’, and ‘This little light of mine’. Travel influencer Tasha Whitley and other festival-goers shared clips of the joyful, unifying experience. Festival attendees took to social media to praise the set, highlighting the nostalgia and joy it brought. Partridge, who teaches at various schools and has sung on recordings with notable artists, said, ‘The most incredible experience ever! Cannot believe I've just performed at Glastonbury. Incredible turnout today, the joy of singing really does unite!’

19-year-old Climate activist, Greta Thunberg, made a surprise appearance and spoke on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival. The 19-year-old warned festival-goers, ‘The earth's biosphere is not just changing, it is destabilising, it is breaking down.’ She criticised world leaders for ‘creating loopholes’ to protect firms whose emissions cause climate change. ‘That is a moral decision that will put the entire living planet at risk’, she added. Gretta spoke against a backdrop of the ‘warming stripes’, a vivid illustration of how the average global temperature has soared in recent decades. But she ended with a message of hope, telling festival-goers they had the power to make a difference. ‘Make no mistake, no one else is going to do this for us.’," she concluded. ‘Right here and now is where we stand our ground.’ She also visited the festival's Park area during her visit and the crowd joined her in a chant of ‘climate justice’.