Kneecap performing at Glastonbury 'not appropriate', PM says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5z26dpgd7o
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, external, 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."
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.
An up close image of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who is wearing a scarf and sunglasses. There is a crowd of people behind him.
Image source,PA Media
Image caption,
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?
Kneecap members Moglai Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Provai standing together in front of a red wall.
Image source,PA Media
Kneecap are an Irish-speaking rap trio who have courted controversy with their provocative lyrics and merchandise.
The group was formed in 2017 by three friends who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.
Their rise to fame inspired a semi-fictionalised film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender.
The film won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February 2025.
by Dodecaheadwrong
32 comments
It’s like these people have never heard of the Streisand effect.
Westminster haven’t learned much have they? You don’t address this through suppression. It only amplifies the message
All this attention is really doing wonders for the lads
Knee cap, flegs, riots, bonfires & marches.
Spineless and hypocritical. What isn’t “appropriate” is the UK supporting Israel diplomatically and militarily.
Kneecap are idiots for even having a Hezbollah flag on hand, let alone deploying it during a concert. Especially considering the terrorist attacks England has experienced. It reinforces the message of Israel that there is no distinction between Palestinian civilians and terrorist organization’s like Hamas/Hezbollah who use them as human shields.
BUT this is a massive over reach of the UK government, with a clear agenda to suppress opposition to Israel/support for Palestinians. They’re using an Irish rap group to make an example out of.
Speaks to the s*n – shitrag
He’s a tory
Genocide is also not appropriate. Fuck off, Keir The Tory Peer.
I would argue it’s not appropriate for the PM to weigh in on who should and shouldn’t be allowed to play at a music festival but that’s just me
Keir Starmer child harmer
Keirs a walt, pass it on
Luckily, politicians don’t get to decide who should and shouldn’t be allowed to play Glastonbury.
We Irish don’t give a fecking toss what he has to say. Has he not learned from history?
Stick to facilitating Genocide Keir. It’s more your jam
starmer is what some could call a “jive ass honky”
I cant stand kneecap but sir keith should fuck up. And in the sun of course 🙄.
Amazed he didnt say Israel has the right to defend itself by taking out kneecap
A Labour leader speaking to the S*n is unforgivable. Every time the British chattering classes speak out about how people shouldn’t listen to Kneecap is the greatest publicity they can get – they become the band “they” don’t won’t you to hear. Let it continue.
The British establishment is officially fucked. This kind of rhetoric (about a rap group!) stinks of a weakness and fragility that I personally find enthralling in a morbid way. Literally the empire killed the empire lol
Arming a genocidal state like Israel isn’t appropriate either Keir. Talking to a Tory rag like The Scum newspaper isn’t really appropriate for the leader of Labour now, is it Keir?
Fascist
YES it is appropriate Mr. Starmer…
Starmer is one of the most authoritarian PMs since when, Thatcher? His government is now moving to make Palestine Action a defacto terror group. The abuse of anti-terrorism legislation to prevent protest (from a former human rights lawyer no less) should be deeply chilling.
Fascist tory
You know what is ACTUALLY ‘not appropriate’?
– Continuing to fund, support, and excuse the actions of the genocidal maniacs in Israel
– Passing the first anti-LGBTQ law since Section 28 was repealed
– Attacking the most vulnerable in our society (disabled and elderly) rather than tax their rich besties
– Parroting the words of white supremacists to try and appeal to Reform voters/gammons
– pretending to be anything other than the red Tory party
Starmer is a Tory in all but name. He’s on the wrong side of pretty much everything. He’s a disgrace to the Labour party.
Low life scum, that’s what they say!!
Queue the “keep politics out of music” crowd. At Glastonbury.
Maybe Starmer should stop supporting Nazis committing genocide against Gaza and Iran before he weighs in on issues of morality. He’s a complete disgrace to Labour and nothing but a stealth Tory cunt.
Not appropriate: Flag
Appropriate: Cutting off water and power to Gaza, facilitating the Israeli murder machine.
“I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on”. OK, then shut the fuck up you ham-faced prick.
What do they have on him?
what a fucking loser
But helping the Zionist murder children is!?
Starmer has just won their court case for them. They’re making the argument this is all political interference and a distraction.
In big balls comes who happens to be PM and says this. And he’s a later he should know better when there’s a case pending.
The arrogance of the Brits is astonishing but hilarious when it clouds their judgement and they forget to hold their tongue.
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