Kneecap confirm BBC Glastonbury bombshell with blunt message
Irish rap trio, Kneecap, has confirmed the BBC contacted the band in the last few hours.
Writing on X, Kneecap, whose members are from west Belfast and Derry, confirmed that their 4pm performance on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury will not be streamed live however, according to the group, the BBC is seeking to make a version of the concert available on the BBC iPlayer on Saturday evening.
"A chairde Gael...," wrote Kneecap. "The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us.... They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the I-player later this evening for your viewing pleasure."
The Irish language rappers warned fans at Glastonbury to arrive at the West Holts Stage early to avoid disappointment.
"The crowd expected today is far greater than West Holts capacity so "you'll need to be very early to catch us father....VERY EARLY," they added.
Despite facing pressure from British politicians and others, the festival organisers have chosen not to cancel the Irish band's appearance. This comes after allegations that the band displayed a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah and chanted "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" during a gig in London last November.
One of the band members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, is currently out on bail and set to reappear in court in August, following a court appearance earlier this month. He denies the charges, and the band has apologised to the families of murdered MPs, claiming that footage of the incident was "exploited and weaponised".
Kneecap is set to perform at Glastonbury on Saturday at 4pm, and an enormous crowd is expected to attend. The controversy has only added to the band's popularity, particularly among the festival's left-wing, anti-establishment, and pro-Palestinian attendees.
Earlier on Saturday, festival bosses issued a warning to fans planning to catch Kneecap's set at the West Holts Stage.
Festival organisers advised attendees: "Kneecap will draw a large audience for their 4pm West Holts show. If you're not planning to see them, please plan alternative routes around that area. If you do plan to attend, listen to stewards, and please have some other entertainment options in mind in case the field reaches capacity and we need to close it as part of our crowd planning measures."
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Irish Times
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