Kneecap performing at Glastonbury ‘not appropriate’, PM says
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Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance not ‘appropriate’, says Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer says he does not think Kneecap should perform at Glastonbury. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the BBC should not show the group’s performance. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August. The rapper said: “If you can’t be there we’ll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC’s.“But most importantly: free, free Palestine.’” The group won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast high court last year.
Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah and saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig in November last year.
In an interview with the Sun, the prime minister was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury. “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this,” Starmer said. “This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Earlier on Saturday the Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” Kneecap’s performance at the festival.
In a post on X, accompanied by an article from the Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group, Badenoch said: “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act.
“As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
Badenoch previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury. Last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast high court after Badenoch tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister in the previous government.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.
“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.”
On Wednesday, Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh at Westminster magistrates court in “Free Mo Chara” T-shirts.
Ó hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August.
After the hearing, the rapper said: “For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday.
“If you can’t be there we’ll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We’ll be at Wembley in September.
“But most importantly: free, free Palestine.”
The charge followed a counter-terrorism police investigation after gig footage came to light, which also allegedly showed the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”.
Kneecap performing at Glastonbury ‘not appropriate’, PM says
Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court charged with a terror offence. He allegedly displayed a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” the group’s performance at the festival next week. BBC spokesperson said as the festival’s broadcast partner, it “will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers” BBC News has approached Glastonburial Festival for comment on the Prime Minister’s comments. The trio say they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any individual or group. The 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He will appear at the same court for his next hearing on 20 August.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think Kneecap’s planned Glastonbury Festival performance is “appropriate”. He made the comments after Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court charged with a terror offence, relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. “This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.” BBC News has approached Glastonbury Festival for comment.
Mr Ó hAnnaidh, charged under the name Liam O’Hanna, was released on unconditional bail after Wednesday’s hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The prime minister’s comments came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” Kneecap’s performance at the festival next week. Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. “One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. “As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.” Responding to the Tory leader’s comments, a BBC spokesperson said as the festival’s broadcast partner, it “will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers”. They added: “Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. “Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.”
Badenoch has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. Kneecap took aim at Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London’s Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician’s attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party’s election loss.
On Wednesday, Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in “Free Mo Chara” T-shirts. The 27-year-old will appear at the same court for his next hearing on 20 August.
PA Media Liam Ó hAnnaidh has been released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August.
Following the hearing, the rapper said: “For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. “If you can’t be there we’ll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We’ll be at Wembley in September. “But most importantly: free, free Palestine.” In a statement, posted on social media in May after Mr Ó hAnnaidh was charged, Kneecap said: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves.”
The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them. Kneecap say they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any individual.
Will the PM’s words change anything?
Analysis from Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News correspondent Will Kneecap care that the Prime Minister doesn’t think they should perform at Glastonbury? Probably not. If anything, it will likely increase the trio’s profile. They’re selling out venues, getting millions of streams and being talked about by people across the world. Calls by politicians and some celebrities to get Kneecap removed from line ups seem to have made them more famous or infamous – depending on your viewpoint. There were hundreds of people outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court supporting Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh aka Mo Chara earlier this week. Many felt Kneecap were representing their views while politicians were not listening to them. Mo Chara is back in court in August – expect similar crowds.
Who are Kneecap?
PA Media
UK PM Starmer says Kneecap should not perform Glastonbury
Keir Starmer says it is not “appropriate” for Irish group Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury. Irish rap trio has made headlines with their outspoken pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance. One of their members has been charged with a “terror” offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. They deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the flag has been taken out of context.
Asked in an interview by The Sun tabloid whether the Irish rap trio should perform at the iconic festival next week, Starmer responded: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this.
“This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made. I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate,” he added.
Kneecap has made headlines with their outspoken pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance, with one of their members charged with a “terror” offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah.
Last Wednesday, Liam O’Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, appeared in court accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag while saying “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah” at a concert that took place in London last year.
The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to show support for them.
Glastonbury festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of music fans from around the world, is set to take place in at Worthy Farm in southeast England next week starting June 25.
Kneecap is due to perform on Saturday June 28 on the West Holts Stage.
The government had previously called on the organisers of Glastonbury festival to “think carefully” about the band’s planned appearance there.
The group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs since, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany.
During their performances, rapping in Irish and English, Kneecap often lead chants of “Free, free Palestine” and display the Palestinian flag.
The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs.
But they deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the flag has been taken out of context.
O’Hanna, Liam Og O Hannaidh in Gaelic, who has been granted unconditional bail, told London’s Wide Awake Festival in May the charge was an attempt to “silence us”.
The group, which shot to fame with their biting, provocative song lyrics and an award-winning docu-fiction based on them, slammed it as “political policing” and “a carnival of distraction”.
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Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance is ‘not appropriate’ says Starmer
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. The rapper, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, has been released on bail until later in the summer, meaning he is free to play at Glastonbury. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think it is ‘appropriate’ for Kneecap to perform at the festival next week. Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” the group’s performance at the event. The group won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In an initial response to the charge, KneECap said: “14,000 babies are about to die about to starve”
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.
The rapper, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, has been released on bail until later in the summer, meaning he is free to play at Glastonbury.
In an interview with The Sun, the Prime Minister was asked whether he thinks Kneecap should play at the festival, to which he responded: “No, I don’t.”
“I think we need to come down really clearly on this,” he added. “This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think it is ‘appropriate’ for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury (PA Wire)
It comes after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” Kneecap’s performance at the festival next week.
Mrs Badenoch said in the X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda.
“One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act.
“As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
The Tory Leader of the Opposition has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister.
Kneecap took aim at Mrs Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London’s Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician’s attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party’s election loss.
Kemi Badenoch has called for Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance not to be shown on the BBC (PA Wire)
On Wednesday, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in “Free Mo Chara” T-shirts.
During the proceedings, a prosecutor told the court the 27-year-old is “well within his rights” to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, is a “wholly different thing”.
O hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20.
Following the hearing, the rapper said: “For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday.
“If you can’t be there we’ll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We’ll be at Wembley in September.
“But most importantly: free, free Palestine.”
Kneecap’s Liam Og O hAnnaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates’ Court through a crowd of supporters (PA Wire)
The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs.
In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”.
In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction.
“We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective?
“To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out.
People with placards in support of Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court (PA Wire)
“Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification.
“The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.”
Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English and their merchandise.
Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.
“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.”
Kneecap Glastonbury Festival slot slammed by Keir Starmer as ‘not appropriate’
Kneecap Glastonbury Festival slot slammed by Keir Starmer as ‘not appropriate’ Prime Minister made comments following rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh’s appearance in court on Wednesday on a terrorism charge. Irish rappers were axed from Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival last month amid safety fears. It comes after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing’ KneecAP’s performance at the festival next week. The trio – made up of O Hannaigh, known as Mo Chara, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, and Naoise O Caireallain – are no longer set to play Glasgow Green on Friday, July 11 due to concerns over the safety of the event. The band posted a statement on X on May 28 which read: “To the thousands of people who bought tickets, we are sorry…it is out of our hands. Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. Make of that what you will”
The UK PM blasted Kneecap’s upcoming Glastonbury performance, after the Irish rappers were axed from Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival last month
Kneecap will play at Glastonbury on Saturday (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images )
Kneecap’s upcoming Glastonbury Festival performance is not “appropriate” according to Sir Keir Starmer. The Prime Minister made the comments following rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh’s appearance in court on Wednesday on a terrorism charge after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah while saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig in November.
In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this.
“This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
It comes after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” Kneecap’s performance at the festival next week.
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London (Image: PA )
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Mrs Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda.
“One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act.
“As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
Last month, the Irish rap group was axed from the line up of Glasgow music festival TRNSMT amid safety fears.
The trio – made up of O Hannaigh, known as Mo Chara, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, known as aDJ Provai, and Naoise O Caireallain, known as Moglai Bap – are no longer set to play Glasgow Green on Friday, July 11 due to concerns over the safety of the event.
Police Scotland had previously said the performance at Glasgow Green in July would require “a significant policing operation”.
Kneecap were also criticised over 2023 gig footage that appeared to show a band member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made the comments ahead of Kneecap’s scheduled appearance at Glastonbury next week (Image: PA Wire )
The band posted a statement on X on May 28 which read: “Due to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT.
“To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry…it is out of our hands. Glasgow has always been a huge city for us.
“We’ve played there many many times, with no issues – ever. Make of that what you will.”
The Tory Leader of the Opposition has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister.
Kneecap took aim at Mrs Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London’s Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician’s attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party’s election loss.
On Wednesday, O hAnnaidh was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with his bandmates at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in “Free Mo Chara” T-shirts.
Supporters of Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh wait outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Image: PA )
During the proceedings, a prosecutor told the court the 27-year-old is “well within his rights” to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, is a “wholly different thing”.
O hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20.
Following the hearing, the rapper said: “For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday.
“If you can’t be there we’ll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We’ll be at Wembley in September.
“But most importantly: free, free Palestine.”
The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs.
In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”.
In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction.
“We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective?
“To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out.
“Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification.
“The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.”
Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English and their merchandise.
Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag.
Article continues below
A BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.
“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.”