Johnny Marr has thrown his support behind Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap ahead of their controversial Glastonbury Festival appearance, amidst calls for their set to be censored over their vocal support of Palestine.
As per Rolling Stone, the former Smiths guitarist released a statement explaining his solidarity with the Belfast group, emphasising Glastonbury’s long-standing political roots. “I’ve played Glastonbury many times and the festival has always had a political aspect,” Marr stated. “It was founded as a place of free expression and political activism and it’s a fact that I agreed to play there with the Smiths in 1984 purely because to do so at the time was a political act.”
Marr’s support comes after learning about attempts to have Kneecap censored during their upcoming festival performance. He added, “Oppression fears artistic expression. I respect all musicians who use their platform to speak out against injustice, who promote compassion and equality and give voice to the voiceless. I stand with my audience and fellow musicians who call for an immediate end to the atrocities and a free Palestine.”
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) June 16, 2025
Kneecap has faced intense scrutiny since their April performance at Coachella, where they displayed messages stating “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” and “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.” The trio has described the subsequent backlash as a “smear campaign.”
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The controversy intensified when MC Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) was charged with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag and making pro-Hamas statements at a London concert in 2024. Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear in court on 18th June, just days before their Glastonbury set.
The rapper has suggested the timing of the charges was deliberately calculated, telling a London festival crowd, “They’re trying to silence us from speaking on stage at Glastonbury the way we did at Coachella. That’s a fact.”
Various UK politicians have called for Kneecap to be removed from festival lineups, including Glastonbury and TRNSMT in Glasgow. The group was subsequently dropped from the TRNSMT festival “due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event.”
Adding to the controversy, DJ/producer Toddla T, who collaborated with Kneecap on their 2024 album ‘Fine Art’, claimed that a powerful music industry coalition led by “a very systemically powerful music agent” had lobbied Glastonbury organisers to remove the group from the lineup.
Despite these pressures, Kneecap remains scheduled to perform on 28th June on the West Holts Stage, with the BBC confirming they will not exclude the group from their festival coverage.
