Kneecap rapper tells Glastonbury he's a 'free man' after terror charge court appearance

Sky News

6 hours ago

Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh told Glastonbury he is a "free man" as the Irish rap band played to a huge crowd.
O hAnnaidh, also known as Liam O'Hanna - or by his stage name Mo Chara - was charged with a terror offence in May and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this month.
The 27-year-old is accused of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed group Hezbollah at a gig in London last November, after video footage circulated online. He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Before their performance at Glastonbury there had been calls from some politicians for them to be cut from the line-up.
But they were greeted by cheers of support, and dozens of Palestinian flags waving in the audience, as well as Irish flags and a few "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts. On stage, they said it was the biggest crowd they had ever played to.
Kneecap played the West Holts stage, which has a capacity of about 30,000, and the area was closed by security about 45 minutes before their set.
They started with a montage of news readers covering O hAnnaidh's charge. "Has anybody been watching the news?" bandmate Naoise O Caireallain joked.
They also thanked Glastonbury organisers Michael Eavis and daughter Emily for not bowing to pressure to remove them from the bill.
In reference to his bandmate's upcoming court date, O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine."
Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance could be made available on-demand later.
Before their set, rap-punk duo Bob Vylan also caused controversy, leading the crowd in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)."
Police said afterwards that they were assessing footage of both performances to decide whether any offences may have been committed.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC Director General about Bob Vylan's performance, a government spokesperson said.
Kneecap were removed from other festivals earlier this year, and before Glastonbury there were calls from some for them to be taken off the bill - including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The rappers have had the support of dozens of musicians including Massive Attack, Pulp, Primal Scream and Paul Weller, who signed an open letter in May saying there had been a "concerted attempt to censor and ultimately de-platform" the group.
Kneecap released their first single in 2017 and built a loyal fanbase in the following years.
They rose to wider prominence in 2024 following the release of their debut album and eponymous film - a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together and their fight to save the Irish language.