A well publicised review into Boardmasters’ licence following the appearance of controversial rap-punk duo Bob Vylan at last month’s festival will be heard at Cornwall Council next week.

The risk of crowd disorder, unrest and violence as a result of their performance is cited by complainants – none of which actually happened when the band played.

Hundreds of people wrote to Cornwall councillors demanding that the authority intervened to ban Bob Vylan from appearing at the Watergate Bay festival last month – something it wasn’t in local politicians’ power to do. The punk band were hit by a backlash after chanting “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” during a BBC televised appearance at the Glastonbury festival in June.

It led to the cancellation of other festival appearances in this country and having their US visas revoked, scuppering an American tour. They have also been pulled as the support act on a European tour by Gogol Bordello after a promoter and venues refused to work with them.

It was announced that Cornwall Council would hold a licensing hearing after a member of the public wrote to the authority on July 16 demanding a review of the festival in light of the band’s appearance. However, due to legal timeframes the hearing was unable to be held until after the festival took place and Bob Vylan appeared on the main stage on Sunday, August 10.

The hearing will now take place on Wednesday, September 17. Despite the concerns, Bob Vylan’s set on the main stage went ahead without any unrest. However, the duo’s singer Bobby Vylan made his feelings clear, telling the crowd: “It was a little bit of a battle to get here. Some of your local MPs didn’t want us here. Some of the Zionist lobby groups didn’t want us here.

“Because we speak the truth. Because we will not and cannot be silenced. Because we dare to take this stage and say f*** England and its terrible foreign policy. Because we dare to say ‘f*** the Israeli government and the atrocity, and their crimes of genocide that they are committing and because we dare to say Free Palestine.”

The application to review Boardmasters’ licence came from Andrea Lovett, who wrote to the council: “The inclusion of the musical act Bob Vylan in the Boardmasters Festival 2025 line-up undermines the licensing objectives of the Licensing Act 2003. Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury Festival on June 28, 2025 included inflammatory statements, specifically a chant of “death, death to the IDF”, which is under criminal investigation by Avon and Somerset Police for potential breaches of public order and hate crime legislation.

“The presence of an act under criminal investigation for such conduct at Boardmasters, poses significant risks to:

“Prevention of crime and disorder: The act’s inflammatory rhetoric could provoke unrest or division among attendees, risking disorder.

“Public safety: The potential for controversial performances to escalate tensions in a large crowd threatens attendee safety, particularly given past safety concerns at Boardmasters (e.g., a 2024 crowd surge resulting in seven hospitalisations).

“Prevention of public nuisance: Bob Vylan’s actions have caused significant public outcry, which could manifest as disruption at the festival.

“Protection of children from harm: With attendees as young as nine permitted (with adult supervision), exposing young audiences to potentially divisive or inflammatory content is inappropriate.”

She added: “Boardmasters Festival has a history of safety and crowd management challenges, notably in 2024 when a crowd surge resulted in seven hospitalisations, and a Cornwall Council health and safety officer raised ‘serious concerns’ about crowd management, traffic and welfare facilities being ‘overwhelmed’. The inclusion of an act under investigation for inflammatory conduct heightens these risks, potentially exacerbating tensions or disorder among the festival’s 65,000 attendees.”

The festival actually has a licence for 58,000 people – 53,000 festivalgoers and 5,000 workers / acts. Ms Lovett added: “I acknowledge the festival’s economic contributions (£40-million annually to Cornwall’s economy, supporting 321 jobs) and its community efforts via the Boardmasters Foundation. However, these benefits must not override the statutory duty to ensure public safety and social cohesion.”

A number of other people also wrote to the council concerned about Bob Vylan’s appearance. Estelle Morris said: “I strongly believe his performance will result in public order offences as those who attend and the Jewish or supporters of Israel will feel targeted and unsafe. With the added effects of alcohol at the event, there is a strong likelihood of physical violence and or reasonable fear that violence will be committed, contrary to the Public Order Act 1986, sections one to five.

“Many parents are extremely concerned about their children attending the festival this year, and indeed I understand that over 300 concerned adults have written to Boardmasters to voice their concerns. Boardmasters have refused to engage other than to say that the festival is safe for all.”

The council also received representations from people in favour of Bob Vylan performing at Boardmasters:

Julian Fairclough wrote: “Free speech is the fundamental right which separates free people from the oppressed and a venue that is prepared to stand up for this should be celebrated. I don’t think the band’s comments were tasteful, but they were nuanced and I don’t think they fall foul of hate laws. Regardless of my views, the band are innocent until proven guilty. Accordingly, venues which chose to support them should not face sanction from the authorities for doing so.”

Kuldeep Colt Uppal said: “Please allow Bob Vylan to perform at this event as he is merely pointing out to a genocide that is being perpetrated in Palestine. Artists have the right to free speech and to make people aware. The condemnation should be reserved for the people carrying out the genocide not the person making people aware of it. The more we try to ban free speech the more people will revolt. He has every right to express his opinions, thank you.”

Mohammed Zaman also contacted the council: “I would like to say that I support Bob Vylan attending his performance and find it ironic that people are sanctioned for free speech. While the attention is moved away from the real problem, across the world, where people are dying and being erased off this earth, and no one is accountable?”

There were no concerns raised by statutory bodies. Devon and Cornwall Police said they were satisfied with the measures put in place by the festival organisers and Cornwall Council’s child protection department had no concerns after safeguarding checks were carried out.

A Cornwall Council licensing committee will consider the review of Boardmasters’ premises licence at an online meeting at 10am next Wednesday. The public can view the meeting via the council’s website.