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Glastonbury: From Hope to Anger in a Changing Political Landscape
Glastonbury Festival, the UK’s largest and arguably one of the world’s most iconic cultural gatherings, has long been a platform for political expression. Since its debut in Somerset in 1970, the festival has been a space for activism—championing everything from nuclear disarmament and climate action to anti-racism and anti-war movements. Its long-standing alignment with progressive causes has made it more than just a music event; it’s a mirror of Britain’s shifting political mood.
In recent years, that mirror has reflected increasingly urgent calls for justice. One of the most prominent political flashpoints at this year’s festival was the growing support for a ‘Free Palestine’. With global attention on Gaza, it's no surprise that the movement found vocal support at Worthy Farm. Performances by Kneecap and Bob Vylan became focal points of this political moment.
Much of the pre-festival discussion centred around Kneecap, particularly after the BBC refused to broadcast their set. However, it was Bob Vylan who ultimately made headlines leading a chant of “Death, death to the IDF,” which the crowd joined in on. The moment triggered widespread condemnation from media outlets and strong reactions from both the Israeli and UK governments.
Whether or not the duo had the right to lead such a chant is a debate in itself. But this article instead asks: how did our political culture evolve to this point?
Just eight years ago, the dominant chant echoing through Glastonbury wasn’t one of fury, it was one of hope. In 2017, a very different message rang out from “all corners of the 900-acre festival site”: “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn.” First sung at Wirral Live earlier that year after Corbyn’s appearance on stage, the chant became “an anthem for a political watershed.” It reflected a renewed belief that real, progressive change was possible.
After the surprising results of the 2017 general election, where Corbyn’s Labour closed the gap with the Conservatives to just 2.3%, the chant wasn’t just symbolic; it felt like a sign of genuine political momentum. One iconic moment came during Radiohead’s headline set, when Thom Yorke remarked on the uselessness of politicians. The crowd countered with the Corbyn chant—an expression of optimism that, for once, someone in Westminster truly represented hope and change.
That hopeful energy now feels like a relic of a different era. In its place, a climate of frustration and political disillusionment has taken hold. The fact that Glastonbury’s political moment in 2025 centred around calls for the death of a military force not a vision for a better future suggests how deeply that optimism has eroded.
Many see this shift as a symptom of a broader failure in our political system. The centre-ground politics championed by Keir Starmer has left many feeling disillusioned. Despite a landslide victory in the general election, Starmer’s government has so far disappointed those hoping for bold change. Continued cuts to welfare, rising defence spending, and a refusal to consider progressive taxation have led to the sense that we’re witnessing not renewal, but managed decline.
This disillusionment has led people in two very different directions. On one side, the far-right populism of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged—fuelled by anti-immigration sentiment, nationalism, and fear. On the other hand, a new political project is emerging from the left, spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, both now outside the Labour Party. Though details remain scarce, their message is clear: Westminster is broken, and the current system is failing ordinary people.
I spoke to a former president of the University of Bristol Socialist Society about the potential for this new party. While they acknowledged frustrations with the party’s slow and unclear launch, they also described a growing sense of renewed political hope. For many who feel politically homeless after Labour’s rightward shift, this movement represents “a real opportunity to bring together all the layers of our society that are itching to build a system that puts people and planet before profit.”
We don’t yet know what this party will become, or how it will shape UK politics. But in a country where Farage’s reactionary politics are gaining ground, and Labour seems reluctant to embrace transformative change, a new left-wing force may offer the only real alternative.
Glastonbury is but a showing of the current political zeitgeist of the UK. Many in this country seem to be running away from more centrist politics of the past, as those in participation with Bob Vylan’s chant show against the outrage in mainstream media and the government itself, the choice may be a stark one at the next general election; Socialism or barbarism.
References
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/07/oh-jeremy-corbyn-chant-white-stripes
https://climateandcapitalism.com/2014/10/22/origin-rosa-luxemburgs-slogan-socialism-barbarism/