Red Arrows flying high over Glastonbury as festival is engulfed in controversy
The Red Arrows have made a flypast high above Glastonbury while Pulp performed Common People on the Pyramid Stage.
The iconic Royal Air Force aerobatic team can be seen in a video posted on X soaring through the skies with Worthy Farm and all its thousands of tents, celebrities, and stages far beneath the Hawk T1 jets.
The red jets' flypast came amid a politically controversial festival as an act led chants calling for the deaths of the Israel Defence Force (IDF).
"Glastonbury from above!" The Red Arrows said in the post on X.
"Over the festival this evening, as Pulp performed Common People."
Alongside flying over Glastonbury, the team also performed at Cleethorpes during Armed Forces Day celebrations in northeast Lincolnshire with the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF).
The BBMF flew in a Hurricane PZ865 and a Spitfire P7350 over Cleethorpes beach.
"What an incredible day it's been at Cleethorpes Armed Forces Weekend so far!" the BBMF said in a post on X.
The Somerset festival has become mired in controversy as Pascal Robinson-Foster, part of the rap punk pair Bob Vylan, organised chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]".
"Sometimes we have to get our message across with violence because that's the only language some people speak, unfortunately," the punk star said at the West Holts stage on Saturday.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have criticised Bob Vylan's performance.
"There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech," Sir Keir Starmer said.
"I said that Kneecap [an Irish-language rap group] should not be given a platform, and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence."
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, also denounced the performance, saying it was "clear Vylan was inciting violence and hatred".
The Croydon South MP called on the police to arrest and prosecute the duo.
The Red Arrows will be performing around the UK and in Europe throughout their 60-date flying season until October.
The team will be performing at the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Royal International Air Tattoo, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the summer.
Every pilot involved in the Red Arrows has flown operationally in frontline aircraft such as the Typhoon.
The group have been flying since 1965.
Join Our Newsletter
