Kneecap to headline London festival as planned after other gig cancellations
Kneecap's
headline set at
London's
Wide Awake festival is to go ahead as planned after a number of the group's concerts were cancelled by organisers.
The group has seen gigs including a performance at the Eden Project in Cornwall on July 4th cancelled after
old concert footage
appeared to show a member of the group shouting 'up
Hamas
, up
Hizbullah
', and another video allegedly showing one saying 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP'.
In a statement confirming their performance in Brixton's Brockwell Park would go ahead as planned, Wide Awake said: 'After positive discussions with key stakeholders, Wide Awake festival can confirm that, as planned, Kneecap will be performing at this year's festival on Friday, May 23rd at Brockwell Park.
'Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent.'
READ MORE
Comprised of Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, the group has faced an
investigation by counter-terrorism police
in Britain after the videos, filmed in 2023 and 2024, became public.
The Wide Awake performance will be the band's first
UK
gig since the investigation was launched.
Kneecap shows at Plymouth Pavilions and a number of German events, including Hurricane and Southside festivals, have also been cancelled.
In a
post on X
following the announcement, the group said: 'Well well London, we'll be seeing you for a headline show in Brockwell Park next Friday.
'Some tickets remain – this one is going to be very special.'
Well well London 🔥
We'll be seeing you for a headline show in Brockwell Park next Friday🌳
Some tickets remain - this one is gonna be very special ❤️
🎟️
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL)
Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs, but claimed the old footage had been 'exploited and weaponised', while they also said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hizbullah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.
UK Conservative leader
Kemi Badenoch
has called for Kneecap to be banned while other politicians have pushed for the group to be dropped from the
Glastonbury Festival
line-up.
Last week, Self Esteem, real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor, told Times Radio she would be 'comfortable' sharing a stage with the trio at Glastonbury and added she felt it would be 'a problem (for) culture, art, freedom of speech' if they did not perform.
Artists including
CMAT
, Massive Attack, The Pogues,
Brian Eno
, Pulp,
Paul Weller
, former
BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac
and
Primal Scream
have defended the band following the furore.
They
signed a statement
saying there is a 'clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform' Kneecap while claiming that politicians are 'strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band' while ignoring a 'genocide' in
Gaza
.
[
Kneecap and Boris Johnson have a lot in common
Opens in new window
]
Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language, their best known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live and 3Cag.
Alongside Kneecap, the Wide Awake one-day festival will also see performances from the likes of CMAT, English Teacher and Peaches. – PA
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2 hours ago
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2 hours ago
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And we all have women in our lives who aren't technically our aunties, but who have always been there for us. In Little Women, Aunt March is a rich widow who disapproves of Marmee's parenting, yet ultimately has a lasting influence on two of her great-nieces When my mum died at the age of 48, it was her sisters – our aunts – who stepped up to try to fill the void she'd left behind. I still get birthday and Christmas cards from the two surviving aunties and, yes, there's always a bit of money tucked inside (I'm 54!). In recent months, I've seen my aunties more often as I make regular trips from Kildare back to Yorkshire to visit my elderly dad. Only last month, I spent the night at my auntie's. I slept in my cousin's old bedroom, where I'd once played Scalextric and Subbuteo with him. Core memories unlocked and held tight. READ MORE Several fictional aunties have also stayed with me. 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