British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly opposed Kneecap performing at Glastonbury Festival, declaring, “I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
The Irish hip-hop trio have become increasingly controversial for their outspoken political statements, particularly their support for Palestine. Their provocative stance has drawn attention on both sides of the Atlantic, notably at Coachella earlier this year, where festival organisers removed the group’s pro-Palestine messaging from the official livestream during the first weekend.
The controversy intensified in May when Kneecap member Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence stemming from an incident at a London concert in November 2024. Chara, currently out on bail, allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag while shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and “the only good Tory is a dead Tory” during the performance.
Pressure has been mounting from UK politicians to remove Kneecap from upcoming festival lineups. The group have already been dropped from Scottish festival TRNSMT due to police safety concerns. However, as of now, their Glastonbury performance remains scheduled for next Saturday, with the BBC still planning to broadcast the set live.
When questioned by the Sun about whether Kneecap should be permitted to perform at the iconic festival, Prime Minister Starmer responded firmly: “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.”
Conservative party leader Kem Badenoch has aligned with Starmer’s position, directing additional criticism at the BBC for their decision to broadcast Kneecap’s performance. Badenoch stated on social media: “As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
Despite the growing political pressure, Glastonbury organisers have not yet announced any changes to Kneecap’s scheduled appearance on Saturday, June 28th.
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