Kneecap gear up for Glastonbury performance - but it won't be shown on BBC

Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

Irish rap trio Kneecap, who hail from Belfast, are gearing up for their Glastonbury performance at the West Holts stage at 4pm on Saturday.
Their appearance at Worthy Farm has been surrounded by controversy for weeks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer even calling for their set to be scrapped after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court, charged with for allegedly waving a flag in support of the banned terrorist group Hezbollah and chanting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" during a performance in Brixton last November.
O hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was greeted with cheers from hundreds of fans as he and his bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh turned up at Westminster Magistrates' Court sporting "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts.
Ahead of Glastonbury this weekend, due to the controversy over their band member's court case, there has been much public discussion about if they should perform at all. But, the performance is set to go ahead as planned. Here, we bring you all the latest and everything you need to know about the controversial set from the trio.
Kier Starmer also commented on the situation. When questioned about whether he thinks the band should perform at the festival, he responded: "No, I don't. I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won't say too much, because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate."
However, their set was later defended by organiser he group are still set to perform. Talking to the BBC as the festival flung open its doors to thousands of revellers today, Emily Eavis was asked: "You are very used to people picking over every aspect of the lineup but the Prime Minister got involved this time, saying it wasn't appropriate for Kneecap to be playing, how have you responded to that?"
Emily replied: "We haven't responded to that. At the moment we're just focusing on bringing the best festival to the people who want to come here. We're incredibly lucky that so many people want to come to Glastonbury, we have millions of people who want to come."
However, she was then probed: "But it's quite a thing for the Prime Minister to comment, how did you react? How did you feel?"
Looking somewhat irritated, Emily said: "I know, it is, there have been a lot of really heated topics this year, but we remain a platform for many, many artists from all over the world and, you know, everyone is welcome here."
On Thursday, two days before their set at Worthy Farm, Kneecap shared a powerful message in the build-up. While the rap group will be taking to the stage at the iconic festival, their set will not be shown live on the BBC following the fallout from their political gestures at previous shows.
The group shared a short film calling for urgent attention to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Taking to Instagram, they shared the video which opened with a public service announcement graphic that reads: "Please pay attention," in the opening credits.
They then read a statement condemning genocide as they draw from sources including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, The Lancet, and multiple UN agencies. The words are accompanied by a series of animated illustrations on screen, while as well as interviews with doctors and activists.
In the caption for the upload, the group wrote: "Kneecap is not the story. Genocide in Gaza is.
"See it. Say it. Censored.' is an artist-led alternative PSA presented by kneecap that demands urgent action to stop the genocide unfolding in Gaza.
"Created by a coalition of artists and powered by the testimony of medics and activists, the film builds on reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and UN agencies, to lay out the facts and call for vital action: STOP THE GENOCIDE."
Kneecap are 'not likely' to have their upcoming Glastonbury performance shown on the BBC, following controversy over band member Mo Chara's court case.
The band's slot at Glastonbury is under scrutiny, but with the rapper bailed until later in the summer, the show will go on ahead of this weekend's festival. Speaking from Westminster last week, he told fans: "For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday.
"If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September. But most importantly: free, free Palestine."
BBC's TV coverage of Glastonbury will start on BBC Two at 5pm, with Kneecap scheduled for 4pm-5pm, just before the broadcast is due to start.
Although iPlayer coverage is available throughout, with highlights shown each day in the evenings on BBC One - the band are also not listed for either platform. The BBC's schedule is finalised and can be changed up nto and even during the festival, but so far, there is no sign of Kneecap.
A BBC spokesperson said: "As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead up to the festival."
Kneecap is a rap trio from Belfast, the North of Ireland, known for their politically charged lyrics, use of the Irish language, and rebellious attitude. The group includes members Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí.
While they are widley loved by many, the trio have sparked debate and controvery due to their openly republicanism and criticsm of British rule in the North of Ireland. Their lyrics often reference Irish nationalism, the Troubles, and anti-establishment sentiments, which has sparked criticism - especially from unionist communities.
There has also been much controvery over band member Mo Chara's court case. Mo Chara, 27, whose real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, was charged with brandishing a flag backing banned militant group Hezbollah at a gig in November 2024.
The 27-year-old faced Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18. Supporters and musicians, including Paul Weller, gathered outside.
The charge related to an incident after the band's O2 Forum show in Kentish Town, London.
However the band had branded the case against the musician as 'witch hunt'. They made the calim in a post shared on Twitter/X after they were investigated by counter-terrorism police in May for videos allegedly showing Liam saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah".