Latest news with #SXSWLondon
Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The 14 best things to see at SXSW London 2025
SXSW London won't just be the debut South by Southwest festival in London but the first in all of Europe. Next week the event – for which Time Out is an official media partner – will take over dozens of iconic Shoreditch venues for a week-long feast of talks, panels, music concerts and film screenings. Between June 2 and June 7 SXSW London will host literally hundreds of events: a total of 420 talks and panels, 250 film screenings and over 500 gigs. The lineup for the Texan festival's first London event is stacked with big names: included are talks by the likes of actor Idris Elba, comedian Katherine Ryan and footballer Cesc Fàbregas, and gigs from names such as Tems, Mabel and Erykah Badu (the latter performing under her alias DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown). Heading to SXSW London but still undecided on who or what to see? Here's Time Out's list of the top things to look forward to at SXSW London, featuring the insights of our global film editor Phil de Semlyen and music expert Georgia Evans. Music Chosen by Georgia Evans. Uncle Junior These kids are far cooler than most of us were at 17 (did we all dress like we were desperate to be in Skins?), bursting onto the London underground music scene in a frenzy of harsh noise, hardcore and experimental rock. Erratic performances at The George and Shacklewell Arms have earned Uncle Junior cult status, despite only dropping two singles so far. The first, 'I Love You, Kenneth Copeland', is a fantastic summation of what the three-piece is all about: ironic lyrics, jagged production and chaotic, youthful energy. Jaguar Shoes (Main Room), June 2 2025, 7-7.30pm. Village Underground (Village Underground), June 3 2025, 4-4.30pm. Pa Salieu Rapper Pa Salieu first made headlines with his single 'Frontline', which was the most-played track of 2020 on BBC Radio 1Xtra. The following year he released the Ivor Novello-nominated mixtape Send Them to Coventry, cementing his place as one of the UK's most exciting emerging acts. Despite a break in releases (due to being incarcerated) Salieu is still making hits, such as the dancefloor-ready Disclosure single 'King Steps'. Catch him at SXSW to hear his blend of afrobeats, grime and UK drill in an intimate setting at Village Underground. Village Underground (Village Underground), June 4 2025, 8-8.40pm. TWST Informed by the likes of AG Cook and Charli xcx (who played her lead single from the TWST0002 (Upgraded) EP, 'Upgrade (Crook's System Update)' in a DJ set), twst is a hyperpop protégé ready for global domination. Growing up in rural Wales, they spent their early years working at their father's chicken factory. Eventually, twst swapped the countryside for supporting slots with MØ, interviews on BBC Radio 1 and writing with K-pop powerhouse record label, HYBE. Prepare for a dynamic live performance that's filled with glistening electronic flourishes and ethereal vocals. Jaguar Shoes (Main Room), June 6 2025, 10-10.35pm. Jasmine 4.t Manchester-based singer-songwriter Jasmine 4.t's debut album You Are The Morning was produced by US supergroup boygenius and received widespread critical praise upon its release earlier this year. The first UK act to be Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records, Jasmine uses her music to shine a light on the saving graces of queer friendship and formative experiences of being a trans woman in this country. Her production methods span sorrowful string arrangements to ferocious guitar solos, all backed with intimate lyrics that make her an absolute must-see. 93 Feet East (Live Room), June 7 2025, 6-6.30pm. DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown aka Erykah Badu Performing as DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown, Erykah Badu will be performing alongside multi-instrumentalist Henry Lau on the House of R&B stage. Expect a cosmic blend of jazz, R&B, pop and experimental dance music closing the day of DJ Ace's carefully curated programme Everything R&B. This is an enticing and unusual way to catch the five-time Grammy winner in an intimate setting. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 6 2025, 11-11.59pm. Film Chosen by Phil de Semlyen. The first ever SXSW London film programme offers a typically provocative, edgy and enticing array of movies, shorts and talks from the UK offshoot of the world-famous Austin arts festival. You'll find new films and new voices in its line-up – all of them exciting, all carefully curated to fit the new festival's ethos of discovery. There are two world premieres and 30 UK premieres at the festival – but plenty to look out for across the programme. Here's four films to look out for. The Life Of Chuck Love Stephen King? SXSW London is here for you with two new adaptations of the Maine horror legend's work. Alongside a serialisation of his 2019 sci-fi horror The Institute, a spiky sci-fi horror about telekinetic kids being experimented on in a mysterious facility, you'll find Mike Flanagan's (Doctor Sleep) take on this short story from the cheerier end of the King oeuvre. Tom Hiddleston plays an ordinary joe called Chuck Krantz who may hold the key to an impending apocalypse. Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan co-star. June 7. Rich Mix Screen 1, 8.40pm-10.30pm and Curzon Hoxton Screen 1, 9.15pm-11.15pm. Stans The film strand of the festival kicks off with a sideways look at fan culture courtesy of Slim Shady himself, Eminem. The rapper co-produces a doc that turns the camera on fans and fan culture – from the enthusiasts to the obsessive stans – in a 'revealing, edgy, and disarmingly personal journey into the world of superfandom'. Its SXSW London world premiere should give the film programme a turbo-charged lift off. June 2. Barbican Centre, Cinema Screen 1, 6.30pm-8.55pm. June 5. Barbican Centre, Cinema Screen 1, 9.15pm-11pm. Queer as Punk One of the joys of any good film fest is the chance to dive into new cultures and learn a thing or two about what makes them tick. In the case of this raucous rock doc, it's raw, punk energy as embodied by queer Malay band Shh…Diam ('shut up'). It's a perceptive, empathetic and high-energy journey into what it's like to be trans and queer in a country where same-sex relationships remain illegal. Expect a music doc like no other as this unique four-piece lets rip. June 5. Rich Mix Screen 1, 8.30pm-10.23pm. June 7. Curzon Hoxton Screen 3, 2pm-3.38pm. Everyone Is Lying To You For Money Crypto bros come under the spotlight in The O.C. star-turned-filmmaker Ben McKenzie's cryptocurrency exposé, another SXSW London world premiere. Filmed over three years and spanning New York, London, Austin, El Salvador and Miami, it'll open your eyes to the shadowy corners of the crypto industry. McKenzie even tracks down big-name fraudsters like Sam Bankman-Fried and Alex Mashinsky to get the scoop on the dark side of crypto. Planning on investing your life's savings in Bitcoin? Book a ticket. June 6. Rich Mix Screen 1, 6pm-7.55pm. Talks and panels Idris Elba Award-winning actor and household name Idris Elba is one of SXSW London's headline conference speakers. The actor, who is also a musician, entrepreneur, anti-knife crime campaigner and rumoured future candidate for London's mayoralty, will be speaking in a talk named 'Creativity as Capital for Change'. He'll be talking about how creativity can be used as fuel for real economic and social transformation, as well as to 'challenge injustice and unlock new economic models'. If you can't get enough of Elba, he'll also feature in a Q&A alongside rappers Giggs and Nas after a showing of Meji Alabi's film Victory on Saturday (June 7). Idris Elba in Conversation. Creativity as Capital for Change: Truman Brewery (SXSW London Stage), June 4 2025, 4.45pm-5.30pm. Victory + Q&A. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 7, 2025, 2pm-3.20pm. Dame Jane Goodall Dame Jane Goodall has spent over six decades studying chimpanzees, and at SXSW London she'll impart some of that wisdom upon lucky Londoners. What's more is that Dame Jane won't just be chatting chimps – the 91-year-old ethologist, conservationist and UN Messenger for Peace will be talking (with CNBC broadcaster Tania Bryer) about a wider range of topics including 'hope, humanity, and the future of our planet'. Couldn't be timelier and more essential, if you ask us. In conversation with Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE. Truman Brewery (SXSW London Stage), June 3 2025, 3.10pm-3.55pm. Bimini Former Time Out cover star Bimini Bon Boulash will host a live episode of podcast The Pieces with Bimini at SXSW London, with reality TV star Olivia Attwood (of Love Island and The Only Way is Essex) as their guest. Drag queen, author, recording artist and model Bimini's podcast is all about revealing the moments that shaped their guests' identities, and the live edition will be at Shoreditch Town Hall on Friday. The Pieces With Bimini. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 6 2025, 12.05pm-12.35pm. Dina Asher-Smith Former world championship gold medal-winning runner Dina Asher-Smith will be joined by ELLE editor-in-chief Kenya Hunt to talk about the relationship between women in sport and luxury fashion. Asher-Smith, who is currently a contributing editor at ELLE and has been on the cover of the mag several times, will talk about the 'growing relationship between sport and luxury fashion', as well as delve into her career on and off the track. How The Power of Women in Sport is Influencing Luxury Fashion. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 6 2025, 1.05pm-1.35pm. Various AI talks Still baffled by AI? Over its six days SXSW London will host some of the biggest cheeses in artificial intelligence, here to discuss how AI will impact stuff like videomaking, business, journalism and industry, as well as talk about AI ethics. Our picks? 'The AI Voice Revolution' with Mati Staniszewski (CEO of AI audio firm ElevenLabs), 'AI in 2030' with Azeem Azhar (founder of future-focusing newsletter Exponential View) and 'The Video Revolution' with Victor Riparbelli of AI video company Synthesia. The Video Revolution. Truman Brewery (SXSW London Stage), June 5 2025, 12.40pm-1.05pm. The AI Voice Revolution. Truman Brewery (SXSW London Stage), June 4, 2025, 11.45am-2.10pm. AI in 2030. Shoreditch Electric (Shoreditch Electric Stage), June 2, 2025, 10.15am-10.45am.
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
SXSW London 2025: tickets, lineup, timings and everything you need to know
Hundreds of people from the worlds of tech, music and culture will be descending on Shoreditch in a matter of days. Film makers, musicians, entrepreneurs, journalists, sports stars, actors, influencers – you name it, they'll probably be at London's inaugural South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival. SXSW in Austin, Texas has been a major event in the global cultural calendar for nearly 40 years, hosting the likes of Michelle Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Billie Eilish and Steven Spielberg, and debuting of some of Hollywood's biggest films, like Bridesmaids and 21 Jump Street. Now the legendary festival coming to London for it's first ever European edition. Whether you've already got your hands on tickets or tempted to make last minute plans. Here's everything you need to know about SXSW London 2025. When and where is SXSW London 2025? London's debut SXSW festival is happening across 28 venues in Shoreditch from June 2 to June 7, 2025. Lineup There are quite literally hundreds of talks, panels, film screenings and music performances lined up for SXSW London 2025. Here's an overview of who and what to expect. Speakers Among the names taking part in the more than 420 talks and panels are actor Idris Elba, comedian Katherine Ryan, drag queen Bimini, ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus, athlete Dina Asher Smith, football legend Ian Wright, conservationist Jane Goodall, presenter and business owner (and recent Time Out cover star) Jamie Laing, singer Maisie Peters, actress Sophie Turner and environmentalist Caroline Lucas, plus CEOs of of massive global companies like OnlyFans, Monzo and Twitch. See everyone speaking at SXSW London here. Music On the music side of things, headline performers include Erykah Badu (performing as DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown), Tems and Mabel. Other exciting names on the lineup include Uncle Junior, PA Salieu, TWST and Jasmine 4.t. Browse the full list here. Film screenings The film festival part of SXSW will feature 250 film screenings. It'll open with the world premiere of Eminem's documentary film 'Stans' on June 2 and close with Mike Flanagan's latest project 'The Life of Chuck', starring Tom Hiddleston, on June 7. More film highlights highlights include Tom Kingsley's heist comedy 'Deep Cover', an intimate documentary following author, model and trans activist Munroe Bergdorf, the UK premiere of 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' and the world premiere of the latest Stephen King film adaptation 'The Institute'. Explore the entire screenings programme here. How to attend SXSW 2025 in London There are several different ways you can attend SXSW London. If you're only interested in the music performances, single day tickets cost just £25, or you can buy a three day wristband for £65 or a six day wristband for £99. A full six day music pass that gives you access to music performances, events, mentoring, workshops and music-focused conference talks in £650. The screen equivalent will also set you back £650. A three day festival pass, giving you full conference access and secondary access to music and screen events is £595 while a conference pass for all six days is £1,000. For full access to everything going on at the festival, you can splash on on a platinum pass for £1,300. Are there any tickets left? Yep! There's still time to pick up a pass of your choice here. As long as tickets are still, they'll continue to be sold online throughout the event. Venues Here's a full list of the 28 east London venues taking part in SXSW London 2025: 93 Feet East Art of Supercell Barbican Centre Bike Shed Moto Co Brick Lane Tap Room Canva Co-Lab Christ Church Spitalfields Civo Tech Junction Colours Hoxton Curzon Hoxton Devonshire Square Drake and Morgan Dream Factory Chance Street Fora Folgate Street, Montacute Yards, Princelet Street and the Black and White Building Hoxton Hall Hoxton Square Jaguar Shoes Juju's Bar Climate and Nature House by Bellwethers Nicholls and Clarke Ninety One Living Room One Hundred Shoreditch Protein Studios Rich Mix Rooftop - 50 Finsbury Square Sadu House at Kachette Shoreditch Church Shoredich Electric Shoreditch Town Hall Spitalfields The Hoxton The Old Blue Last The White Rabbit Shoreditch Troxy Truman Brewery Village Underground XOYO Timings The festival kicks off each day from as early as 8.15am, with the last events of the day ending at around 2am. The final festival event on Saturday, June 7 is scheduled to finish at 11.59pm. Where to pick up wristbands The badge and wristband collection point will be stationed at Shoreditch Studios on Bateman's Row. You can collect yours from 12pm on Monday, June 2.
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Olly Murs makes defiant return to the stage after being forced to axe gigs
Olly Murs is back in action after an unexpected bout of illness forced him to cancel a string of shows. The pop star, 41, has been performing across the country with his 15 Years of Hits Tour, supported by boy band Blue and celebrating his music career since rising to fame on The X Factor in 2009. However, disaster struck on Thursday night when Olly had to abandon his gig in Glasgow midway through, having performed for just 20 minutes before making a crushing announcement to the packed arena. The Dear Darlin' hitmaker told the crowd: 'My voice has gone.' Just after battling through Kiss Me Like You Mean It, he explained to the OVO Hydro crowd: 'This has never happened to me before, but you can hear my voice is going.' Olly apologised profusely, promising refunds and admitting he wouldn't want to carry on and risk 'ruining' the show for those who paid to see him. 'That's so unlike me, so I just wanna say sorry from the bottom of my heart,' he added. We've teamed up with SXSW London to give away two pairs of Music Festival Wristbands valid for 2-7 June 2025. Headliners include Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems, Brit Award-winning artist Mabel, Crystal Castles's Alice Glass, and East London-based R&B artist NAO, plus emerging talent set to perform at showcase acts around Shoreditch. Click here to find out more about SXSW London's incredible events and how to enter to be in with a chance to win, or simply enter your details using the form below. *T&Cs apply. You have until midnight on Sunday 25th May 2025 to enter. Good luck! * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 06:01 BST on 13 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 25 May 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions (by ticking the relevant checkbox) is necessary to enter the promotion. 1 entry per person. 1 prize available per person. There will be two (2) winners. Each winner will win two (2) Full Week (6 days) Music Festival Wristbands (each such wristband worth £99) granting secondary access to Official SXSW London Music Festival showcases valid from 2 until 7 June 2025. Proof of age and photographic ID is required for entry (18+). The prize, including entry and attendance at SXSW, is subject to and governed by the SXSW's full ticket terms and conditions here. Full T&Cs apply, see here. The next day, Olly had more bad news for his millions of followers, taking to Instagram to confirm he had to cancel his concerts in Manchester and Birmingham this weekend. 'I have contracted a respiratory infection and have been instructed to go on a strict 48 hour voice rest by the doctor to ensure no further damage to my vocal chords [sic]', his caption read. 'I've been having the best time on this tour and I'm so sorry to let my fans down, I'm hoping to be fighting fit in a few days to finish this amazing 15 year celebratory tour with a bang.' Stars including Alexandra Burke and Duncan James wished Olly well after he admitted scrapping his gigs was 'hurting big time' since he loves performing so much. But thankfully, tonight he was back with a vengeance, having teased the gig in the iconic venue hours earlier on social media. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Taking to Insta with a snap outside the O2, an excitable Olly wrote: 'It's. Not. Over. Yet!! 🙌🏻 😎 o2 I'm here! See you tonight ✌🏻' He was quickly inundated with supportive messages, with @jessbellmon commenting: 'So glad you're feeling better ❤️ tonight is gonna be special 🤪' 'Glad youre feeling better!! Have a great show tonight ❤️', echoed @mica_sky. 'He's back!! Never doubted ya! Hope you're feeling better Murs – smash it tonight 🥳🥳🥳', wrote @ Olly also took to his Story after soundchecking the show, saying in a video message: 'I can't tell ya how mad it's been the last 48 hours, 60 hours, since Glasgow. 'Obviously, it's not been great, but I've been voice-resting, I've been dosing up on all my tablets, and getting as much into me as possible, all my vitamins, and I've just completed soundcheck, everything's sounding great, I'm feeling great, and I'm back in this gorgeous arena, arguably one of the best in the world. More Trending 'Can't wait for tonight. Thanks for all the love and the support from everyone. Again, really sorry about the last few shows, but I'm feeling great tonight. I'm back, my voice is back, and it's not over yet!' The Troublemaker singer will now be hoping to maintain his tip-top health to complete a run of summer shows, performing in Brighton next week before upcoming gigs at various festivals. He previously took on a tough training regime ahead of the tour, telling wife Amelia – who is pregnant with their second child together – that he wanted to get into the 'best shape of his life' before hitting the road. Olly then wowed his fans with his transformation, having truly bulked up and toned his physique with the help of a personal trainer for 12 weeks. 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: Women prefer Olly Murs before, men prefer after — this is why
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Iconic actor leaves fans 'in tears' after appearance at Scissor Sisters gig
Sir Ian McKellen unleashed scenes of 'absolute mayhem' at The O2 Arena in London as he took to the stage with Scissor Sisters on Friday. The thespian, 86, wowed fans with a surprise reading of his dramatic monologue from the song Invisible Light. Released in 2010 as a single from their third studio album, Night Work, the song features a magnetic spoken-word performance by the Lord of The Rings and X-Men star. 'Babylon. Where bricks of mortar diamonds tower,' the actor intones in the original track. 'Sailors lust and swagger, blazing in woman's beam.' With the band – which now consists of consists of Jake Shears, Babydaddy, Del Marquis and Randy Real – currently touring arenas in the UK and Ireland, Sir Ian joined in for a reprise of his lines. Wearing a yellow tie over a cream-coloured suit, the icon of stage and screen had fans weeping as his voice echoed throughout the arena. Sir Ian didn't come alone either – and was joined by British musician Self Esteem, who assisted the band in a rendition of their 2004 hit Take Your Mama. We've teamed up with SXSW London to give away two pairs of Music Festival Wristbands valid for 2-7 June 2025. Headliners include Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems, Brit Award-winning artist Mabel, Crystal Castles's Alice Glass, and East London-based R&B artist NAO, plus emerging talent set to perform at showcase acts around Shoreditch. Click here to find out more about SXSW London's incredible events and how to enter to be in with a chance to win, or simply enter your details using the form below. *T&Cs apply. You have until midnight on Sunday 25th May 2025 to enter. Good luck! * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 06:01 BST on 13 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 25 May 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions (by ticking the relevant checkbox) is necessary to enter the promotion. 1 entry per person. 1 prize available per person. There will be two (2) winners. Each winner will win two (2) Full Week (6 days) Music Festival Wristbands (each such wristband worth £99) granting secondary access to Official SXSW London Music Festival showcases valid from 2 until 7 June 2025. Proof of age and photographic ID is required for entry (18+). The prize, including entry and attendance at SXSW, is subject to and governed by the SXSW's full ticket terms and conditions here. Full T&Cs apply, see here. As per his 2010 performance, the actor began with a booming declaration of the word 'Babylon!' He appeared to relish every word as he spoke of 'painted whores,' 'sexual gladiators' and 'fiercely old party children' – finishing with a flourish as colourful disco lights bombarded the arena. Posting to their Instagram page in the aftermath, Scissor Sisters wrote: 'The big one. It was always going to be special coming back to our spiritual home – made even more so by having a ton of family in the house. 'From all three Scissor Mamas (Nancy, Freida and Judy) to Scissor brothers, sisters, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins and a whole lot of chosen family who have been there on this journey since day 1. 'It was a dream come true to have @ianmckellen reprise his legendary Invisible Light monologue and for @selfesteemselfesteem to come bounce around for Take Your Mama. Pure magic, thank you.' Those who were there shared their joy at Sir Ian's surprise performance on social media afterwards. 'Absolute mayhem as Sir Ian McKellen does a dramatic reading of his lines from Invisible Light, one of my favourite scissor sisters songs of all time. Cried a little, just so blessed to see this,' wrote lordisthisfree on X. 'A concert cameo like no other ✂️ Sir Ian McKellen has blown The O2 roof off at The Scissor Sisters' 21st anniversary tour,' said JoshuaGarfield. 'Mary, Comfortably Numb and Ian McKellen on stage: scissor sisters can't be topped quite honestly,' said hannahtomes_. 'It was utterly fantastic. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening. So many highlights,' wrote mattholly_2 on Instagram. 'We were there. It was epic. It was joyous. It was gay. It was loud. It was filth. We were at your last gig at the Roundhouse in Camden in 2012 and was waiting for this. I loved every second,' said dvd.a.g. The band announced news of their reunion tour in October last year, sending fans of the 00s glam rock group into overdrive. However, many were disappointed by one notable absence – co-vocalist Ana Matronic. As news broke of their reunion, the band confirmed that Ana wouldn't be joining them for their 21st anniversary tour. A statement from the 50-year-old singer read: 'People familiar with my story and career arc will know that in the heart of this Showgirl lies a giant Nerd. 'In the past decade, my nerd self has taken the wheel and is now driving my career.' She went on to explain how her schedule was already filled up with the history podcast she hosts, meaning that she would be unable to take time off for the shows. However, there was no animosity between Ana and her former bandmates, with multi-instrumentalist Babydaddy revealing he felt 'proud' of her for saying no. More Trending 'I don't think it's really for us to question or push her to do something that doesn't feel right,' he continued. 'We should all be doing this for the right reasons and with the right feeling in mind. 'So I'm actually really proud of her for being able to say, 'I don't think this is right for me'.' Meanwhile, co-lead vocalist Jake said: 'Her spirit is gonna be with us. Nothing stays the same. One of my mottos is 'You can never go home again' and I think there's so much truth to that. 'It will be a different thing, and that's very exciting to me, even though there's a sadness to it as well. But it's going to be exciting to see how it changes.' 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: EastEnders confirms unexpected Kat and Alfie twist that will delight 00s TV fans MORE: 'Gigs don't have to cost £400 – the next Taylor Swift could be down the road' MORE: Music industry pays tribute to agent Dave Shapiro after death in San Diego plane crash
Metro
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Kneecap declare 'they are trying to silence us' as rapper faces terror charge
Kneecap received a wildly positive reception as they arrived on stage at the Wide Awake festival at Brockwell Park in south London tonight. Ahead of their entrance, videos of the Irish rap trio being condemned were shown on a screen. The message 'Free Palestine' was also displayed and was met with cheers from the crowd. It comes as member Liam O'Hanna, who performs in the band along with Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, faces charges of a terror offence over the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag. Stepping out tonight, the performer declared that he is being 'silenced'. He told the audience: 'I went for an interview with the counter-terror police, and within days they came to a verdict that they were going to charge me; never has it been that quick. 'And the reason it was that quick was because Glastonbury is just around the corner; they're trying to silence us.' We've teamed up with SXSW London to give away two pairs of Music Festival Wristbands valid for 2-7 June 2025. Headliners include Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems, Brit Award-winning artist Mabel, Crystal Castles's Alice Glass, and East London-based R&B artist NAO, plus emerging talent set to perform at showcase acts around Shoreditch. Click here to find out more about SXSW London's incredible events and how to enter to be in with a chance to win, or simply enter your details using the form below. *T&Cs apply. You have until midnight on Sunday 25th May 2025 to enter. Good luck! * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 06:01 BST on 13 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 25 May 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions (by ticking the relevant checkbox) is necessary to enter the promotion. 1 entry per person. 1 prize available per person. There will be two (2) winners. Each winner will win two (2) Full Week (6 days) Music Festival Wristbands (each such wristband worth £99) granting secondary access to Official SXSW London Music Festival showcases valid from 2 until 7 June 2025. Proof of age and photographic ID is required for entry (18+). The prize, including entry and attendance at SXSW, is subject to and governed by the SXSW's full ticket terms and conditions here. Full T&Cs apply, see here. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch recently called for Kneecap to be banned and suggested they should be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival bill this June, with a number of other politicians making the same demand. The 27-year-old rap star, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, said he believes the group are 'being made an example of'. O'Hanna continued: 'We are being made an example of; the Israeli lobbyists are trying to prove to other artists that if you speak out, we're going to hit you where it hurts most. 'They're trying to cancel gigs; they're trying to cancel my freedom of travel. 'And the fact that I'm speaking to this amount of people, and I assume the majority of you will agree, shows that we're on the right side of history.' Echoing his remarks, another member of the group said: 'Thank you very much. They tried to stop this gig.' Another was heard saying: 'Honestly, lads, you have no idea how close we were to being pulled off this gig.' Members of the trio later urged their fans to gather outside court for the first hearing of their bandmate. 'If anybody's about on June 18… we're all going to gather outside the Westminster court to show support. 'Anybody who's free on June 18, get a big bag of Ket, and we'll go on the steps of Westminster.' The incident that led to O'Hanna's charges is alleged to have happened at a concert last November. However, the Metropolitan Police said it was only made aware of video footage the following April. He is alleged to have displayed the flag of Lebanese Shia Islamist political party Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, 'in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation.' O'Hanna will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18. 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: Police crash Kneecap's surprise gig after rapper is charged with terror offence over 'Hezbollah flag' MORE: Kneecap vow to 'fight back' after rapper is charged with terror offence over 'Hezbollah flag' MORE: Kneecap axed from festival after footage calling for deaths of MPs resurfaces
