BBC: Kneecap's Glastonbury set will not be live streamed but could go on-demand
A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap trio to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate' after one of the members was charged with a terror offence.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.
'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines.
'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.'
It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision.
The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us….
'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.'
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year.
On June 18 the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts.
The 1975 headlined on Friday at Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA)
He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thinks the BBC 'should not be showing' the group's set.
In an X post from last Saturday, she said: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda.
'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act.
'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.'
The Arcadia Dragonfly takes flight to mark the launch of Build The Peace, a new initiative transforming military machines into unifying art across post-conflict zones, during the Glastonbury Festival (Ben Birchall/PA)
Ahead of the group's set, an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told the PA news agency: 'Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby.'
Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival's Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts.
The corporation will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'.
Neil Young's set will be televised on the BBC (Isabel Infantes/PA)
On Saturday a BBC spokesperson said: 'We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young's headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.'
The set will be shown on the BBC iPlayer Pyramid Stage stream from 10pm, as well as broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Radio 2.
Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform.
A person in the crowd waves a sign as the Kaiser Chiefs perform on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA)
The 1975 headlined the festival's Pyramid Stage on Friday night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation's 'best songwriter'.
Friday also saw a performance from Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi who told the Glastonbury crowds 'I'm back baby' as he played a surprise set, two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms.
Harry Styles was among the stars attending the festival (PA)
Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn.
Friday saw hot dry weather which hardened the Worthy Farm surface after rain in the early hours of the morning, with festival goers expected to see temperatures in the mid-20s on Saturday.
The Met Office's Grahame Madge said: 'We anticipate highs of 26C on Saturday, with high levels of humidity. By Monday temperatures can be anticipated to be over 30C.
'There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset.'
A woman in the crowd with an ice cream watching Burning Spear perform on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA)
Avon and Somerset Police have said there have been 75 reports of crimes at the festival with 20 arrests made.
Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests.
The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Will I get lost – or liberated? My day at Glastonbury without a phone
For someone who gets lost on the way back from a restaurant bathroom, the 364-hectare (900-acre) sprawl of Glastonbury is a navigational nightmare. I've been to the festival three times, and between the music and the drinking I've always been glued to my phone, risking a rolled ankle as I hurry along, staring at the site map on the app and racing to recorrect my route to the shows. Losing power or losing my phone hasn't ever seemed an option here. Without it, I would cease to function. But perhaps, at the ripe old age of 31, it is time to face my fears. What would happen if I ditched my phone for the day? Would I perish from boredom or find myself liberated, finally embracing the full freedom of the Glastonbury experience? I feel like a frightened puppy at the start of the day, stowing my phone in my bag and attaching myself to colleagues who can show me around instead. I follow my first benevolent handler to the circus fields to watch a talk – so far, so straightforward. But as I head off to find some water, I momentarily lose my bearings on my way back to the group. I have to remind myself to be more attentive once I'm cast off alone to follow the signs (and the many helpful stewards I ask) to the Pyramid stage. Supergrass are playing and as I watch their skittish set I feel my phone start to buzz. I instinctively reach for it, worrying I'm missing out on group chats or work goings-on, and feel strangely bereft when I realise I have to let it vibrate, ignoring it to focus on the stage. I begin to feel a bit bored – something I haven't felt since I first had a smartphone to fill every quiet moment with scrolling. I am considering the state of modern boredom when the Spice Girl Mel C walks past. If I'd been staring at my screen, I never would have noticed her. I head over to ask for a selfie before realising I'd need to take my phone out, settling for an awkward wave instead. As the sun reaches a woozy afternoon peak, I reach into my bag and turn the phone off, free now to wander. I soon spot a group dressed as pirates and ask where they're off to. They hand me a warm bottle of vodka and squash and invite me to tag along. This is their eighth Glastonbury as a group and two of them, Jo and Chris, got engaged here last year. 'It's the most magical place on Earth,' Jo says. 'Nothing bad can happen to you, so have fun!' We spend the next few hours together, stumbling past an Elvis impersonator, the millennial rappers Rizzle Kicks and someone in a morph suit singing Frank Sinatra's My Way on a karaoke machine. As night falls, I find myself alone again, but no longer bored or lonely. Sebastian, a Greenpeace volunteer, spots me scribbling and asks what I'm up to. He tells me he's been coming since the 1980s. 'It's changed a lot and there's more of a corporate atmosphere these days,' he says. 'But you won't find a place with more friendly people in the world.' We try to make our way to the hedonistic south-east corner before losing each other in the crowd. Soon, though, the magic of the festival strikes, as I spot a friend from primary school who I haven't seen in two decades. In a sea of 200,000 people, this meeting feels very unlikely, and as we catch up into the early hours, I realise I would never have found myself here had I followed my phone and had arranged plans. Bleary-eyed, I eventually make the long walk back to the tent. When I wake up and turn on my phone, I realise I missed a meeting with a photographer the day before and an interview for another piece in the afternoon. There are downsides to being uncontactable, but it feels a small price to pay for a revelation: my sense of direction hasn't improved, but I now feel comfortable with getting lost. Perhaps I'll leave my phone at home more often.
Belfast Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Mo Chara tells Glastonbury crowd of ‘stress' after court appearance, blasts PM and makes joke for BBC editor at packed stage
Kneecap led the crowd in chants of 'Free Mo Chara and f*** Keir Starmer' during their Glastonbury set, while also thanking the organisers for not bowing to pressure to cancel their performance.
Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Spectator
Starmer changes his tune on peerage rules
Sir Keir Starmer seems to be changing his mind a lot these days. Whether it is welfare cuts or the 'island of strangers' speech, a grooming gangs inquiry or winter fuel, the Prime Minister is struggling to keep consistent line on much at present. So it is perhaps no surprise then that the Labour leader has changed his tune on the rules around peerages too. In a little-noticed statement to parliament, snuck out last Thursday, Starmer provided an update on the 'roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in making nominations to the House of Lords.' He addressed the subject of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), saying that: Advice on propriety is separate to judgements about the suitability of candidates, which are for political parties… The Commission can decline to support a nomination on propriety grounds and will inform the relevant political party if this is the case. It is a matter for the Prime Minister to decide whether to recommend an individual to the Sovereign. In the unlikely event I, as Prime Minister, were to proceed with a nomination against HOLAC's advice on propriety I would write to the Commission and this letter would be published on The Commission may also provide advice on whether there are any presentational risks associated with a nominee. The Commission does not withhold support for a nominee due to presentational risks. Hmm. That is a somewhat different tone to the one struck by Labour in opposition. Flashback to 2020 when Labour criticised Boris Johnson's decision to overrule HOLAC and award businessman Peter Cruddas a peerage. It prompted Starmer's deputy, Angela Rayner, to declare that 'there is one rule for the Conservatives and their chums, another for the rest of the country.' Yet now that Labour is in office, it seems that Starmer is perfectly happy to overrule HOLAC if he deems it necessary… There is an intriguing sub-plot to this latest Starmer statement too. He goes on to refer to the creation of Crossbench peerages: As Prime Minister, I will continue to recommend directly for appointment a limited number of candidates to sit as Crossbench peers, based on their public service, including both distinguished public servants on retirement and individuals with a proven track record of service to the public. These nominations will continue to be vetted for propriety by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Given Starmer's aforementioned distinction between 'propriety' and 'suitability', it does raise the question of who exactly he has in mind to sit on the Crossbenches in future…
