Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis defends letting controversial rappers Kneecap play festival telling critics to 'go somewhere else' - and activists Palestine Action are also on the bill

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis has told critics of the festival's political leanings to 'go somewhere else' after criticism of its decision to allow Kneecap to perform.
The 89-year-old spoke out as the event ignored demands to pull the Irish republican rappers from the bill after one of the trio was charged with a terror offence.
The Belfast group are due to play the West Holts Stage on Saturday afternoon, 10 days after Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, appeared in court accused of supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.
He was charged last month after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year and has been bailed until August.
Both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called for them to be pulled from the bill after his appearance in court.
It has also emerged that a member of Palestine Action will speak at an event at the festival in Somerset amid moves to proscribe them as a terrorist group.
Francesca Nadin will speak at an event in the Speaker's Forum in the Green Futures Field this afternoon alongside Green Party peer Jenny Jones for a discussion called 'what protest is possible'.
Asked if the event still stands for something, Sir Michael told Glastonbury Free Press, the festival's resident newspaper: 'Oh heaven's above, yes, of course it does.
'And I think the people that come here are into all those things. People that don't agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else!'
Kneecap's performance is due to be livestreamed by the BBC, prompting Mrs Badenoch to demand it not air 'propaganda'.
Following his court appearance, Chara said: '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.'
Yvette Cooper confirmed the move to proscribe Palestine Action after it vandalised two planes inside RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last Friday.
The incident is being investigated by counter-terror police.
The ban under terror laws will make it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, and will be punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
A Palestine Action spokesperson said they would be seeking a legal challenge to the 'unhinged reaction'.
A draft order will be laid in Parliament next Monday, and if approved after debates by MPs and peers, the ban could come into force by Friday.
The festival has always had a political element to it with stages such as Left Field and Green Fields' Speakers Forum welcoming politicians, pundits and celebrities to speak on topics that range from feminism to fascism.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn performed there in 2017.
And this year the Green Party will hold it's first leadership hustings there.
This year's event will see headline performances from British rock/pop band The 1975, veteran singer Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo.
More than 200,000 people are expected to descend on the fields of Pilton, with ticket-holders advised to prepare for mainly warm weather.
Sir Michael, who has used a wheelchair to get around the festival in recent years, said he still gets 'really excited' for the five-day celebration of performing arts and music, though he can 'no longer run around like I used to'.
He told the paper: 'I still take a lot of pleasure from all of it. I'm enjoying every day.
'And Emily is doing so well. I'm just feeling really safe with the show being in her hands.'
Festivalgoers experienced lashings of rain when they arrived to Pilton on Thursday morning, but the rest of the day should be 'largely pleasant', according to the Met Office.
Performing in the coveted Sunday teatime 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 some other guests.
His performance is to come after the Maggie May singer postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu.
Earlier in the month, in an appearance on the Sidetracked podcast, Emily Eavis outlined the changes that have been made to this year's festival and said music area Shangri-La is 'going full trees and green space' which is 'completely the opposite to anything they've done in the past'.
She also said the festival, which has capacity for 210,000 people, has sold 'a few thousand less tickets' this year in a bid to avoid overcrowding.
Among the acts expected to draw large crowds this year is alternative pop star Charli XCX, who will perform songs from her genre-defining sixth studio album Brat.