UK police conclude review of Kneecap's Glastonbury set and are taking no further action
The conclusion of
the review and the end of the investigation
was confirmed by Avon and Somerset Police and the band this afternoon.
Shortly after Kneecap packed out the West Holts stage at the music festival at the end of June, a spokesperson for the police agency confirmed that it had launched a review of the concert.
Posting online today
, the Belfast band expressed confidence. It claimed that everyone who 'saw our set knew no law was broken' and accused the investigation of being politically-charged, 'targeted' and a form of 'state intimidation'.
Avon and Somerset Police
said
detectives, following advice from public prosecutors, have decided to take no further action 'on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence'.
One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.
We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the world's most famous festival.
Shortly afterwards we…
pic.twitter.com/S0BsMeOM83
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL)
July 18, 2025
Kneecap, as well as fellow rap group Bob Vylan, expressed pro-Palestine and anti-Israeli military sentiments on stage at the music festival this year. Both groups were criticised for their vocal condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza.
Throughout the gig, the band
made a number of statements regarding the British media's critical coverage of their
stance on the war in Gaza and Israel.
The criticism came after one band member Mo Chara, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh,
appeared before a judge in London
and charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly displaying a flag of militant group Hezbollah at a gig of theirs last year.
Kneecap also used their platform at Glastonbury to respond to political leaders, including the
UK Prime Minister
Keir Starmer, for
condemning them
in the press and calling for them to be removed from the event.
London's Met Police last month announced it would not to prosecute the band after conducting a review following complaints made against the
band's statements during a gig in November 2023
.
Ó hAnnaidh is due to
appear before a judge again in August
. His defence team signalled that they
will be contesting the charges
, and the band has said the accusations are politically-motivated.
During the set before Kneecap, Bob Vylan frontman, Bobby Vylan, led a chant calling for 'death to the IDF' (Israel Defence Forces). It caused uproar among politicians, who
called on the BBC to investigate and review its broadcasting standards
.
The BBC refused to broadcast Kneecap's set live, and chose to instead
upload the concert to its in-house on-demand service at a later time
. It later explained that it had come to this decision following a risk assessment, which it said it carries out for every live event.
Earlier this month, the
British broadcaster announced it would no longer show events it deemed as 'high risk'
live, following the backlash it received for transmitting Vylan's on-stage remarks, which the BBC said it should have 'pulled' off-air.
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