Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap play Glastonbury despite calls for ban
By Paul Sandle and Kristian Brunse
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday despite criticism by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig.
Frontman Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He denied the charge.
Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury.
With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday.
Festival-goer Greg Robertson, 30, said: "I don't think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone's trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future."
Sara Majid, 29, said she liked what Kneecap stood for.
"I'm intrigued by them," she said.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC, which broadcasts the festival, should not show Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper.
In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group.
Kneecap's manager, Dan Lambert, said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled.
"We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers.
"We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally."
Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here".
The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F... Israel. Free Palestine."
Kneecap, whose other members have the stage names Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah.
O'Hanna said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
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