Kneecap cancel festival appearance as controversy erupts over Irish rap act
Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have pulled out of this year's TRNSMT Festival following calls for the group to be removed from the line-up.
The Belfast-based group were scheduled to perform at Glasgow Green in July, but will no longer appear following news that group member Liam O'Hanna has been charged by the Metropolitan Police.
O'Hanna, 27 - who performs under the stage name Mo Chara - was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organisation in the UK.
The charge relates to an incident that reportedly took place on November 21, 2023, during a performance at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London.
In the wake of the controversy, Kneecap will instead perform at the O2 Academy on Tuesday, July 8 — the same week they were due to appear at TRNSMT.
In a statement on social media, Kneecap said: "'Due to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT'. To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry ... it is out of our hands."
They continued: "Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. We've played there many many times, with no issues - ever. Make of that what you will. To try and make up for it, we will be at your O2 Academy on Tuesday July 8th. Pre-sale is tomorrow at 10am in our WhatsApp channel. General sale is 10am this coming Saturday."
A Police Scotland spokesperson told the Scottish Sun: "Any decision on the line up at TRNSMT is for the organisers and there was no prior consultation with Police Scotland before acts were booked. Officers have highlighted the potential reaction of such a large audience to this band would require a significant policing operation in order to support the delivery of a safe event. We have also passed on information from the public around safety concerns to allow organisers to make an informed decision on the running of the festival."
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