Kneecap set to perform at Glastonbury Festival today despite backlash from politicians
Irish rap trio Kneecap are to perform at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, despite a number of politicians, including the prime minister, calling for them to be banned from the event.
It comes after one of the band's members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh 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.
Last week the rapper, who performs under the 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.
He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20.
Last week Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would not be "appropriate" for them to perform in the slot, which is due to go ahead on the Somerset festival's West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also said the BBC "should not be showing" the trio's set in a post on social media last week.
Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times which said the BBC had not banned the group: "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."
Kneecap are not listed as one of the acts being shown live by the broadcaster.
In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: '14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us...
'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification.
'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.'
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."
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The National
29 minutes ago
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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.' Ahead of the performance, Gemma Gibson, 41, from Newcastle told the PA news agency that she was 'really excited' to see Kneecap perform. Asked if their set should have been cancelled amid the ongoing controversy, she said: 'Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for … This is where they should be.' 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) An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told PA: '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.' 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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, The Crown actor Emma Corrin, and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. 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Robbie Williams responds to Glastonbury surprise set rumours after he fuelled speculation with cryptic post
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Metro
an hour ago
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What time are Kneecap playing at Glastonbury today and can you watch it on BBC?
Today's performance by Kneecap at Glastonbury 2025 could prove to be one of the most controversial moments in the festival's history, with thousands hoping to tune in on TV to watch at home. In April this year, the rap group made pro-Palestine statements at Coachella causing critics like Sharon Osbourne to slam their set for 'promoting terrorist organisations or spreading hate'. Soon after, resurfaced footage of a 2024 Kneecap gig in London saw band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh charged with a terror offence after he allegedly displayed a flag in support of Hezbollah. Though the musician was released on bail, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was asked about the group potentially performing at Glastonbury, to which he replied: 'I don't think that's appropriate.' Amid mounting political pressure on the BBC, the corporation has allowed Kneecap to still perform at the festival, insisting that they do not 'ban artists'. But to find out what time the Irishmen will be playing and whether it is being shown on TV, read below. Last night it was revealed that the BBC is allowing the rap group to performat Glastonbury. Despite one of their performers being charged with a terror offence, the group will be performing on the West Holts Stage at 4pm today. Recently, the band has had various performances cancelled, including TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany, and the Eden Project in Cornwall. Earlier this week, the band opened up about their US visas getting revoked. 'Maybe visas get revoked, you're not allowed in America again, it's not ideal – but Jesus Christ, there's people being bombed from the f*****g skies, and people being starved to death,' Ó hAnnaidh told the Guardian. While the BBC has allowed Kneecap to perform, their live set will not be broadcast live. In an effort to 'meet out editorial guidelines', the BBC is taking pre-emptive measures to ensure no controversy is caused. More Trending The rap trio confirmed that the state broadcaster contacted them to say their performance would be available online on iPlayer from Saturday evening. This would allow the broadcaster to scrutinise the set for any language or imagery that might breach BBC guidelines. In a full statement, the BBC 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.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: I'll be watching Kneecap's prime time Glastonbury set – they deserve to be there MORE: Glastonbury 2025 Saturday live: Neil Young makes dramatic Glastonbury U-turn MORE: Glastonbury viewers vent over 'hopeless' The 1975 set as one thing ruins it
