Irish rap group Kneecap is set to perform on the Glastonbury stage this Saturday afternoon, despite controversy surrounding their appearance and the alleged terrorism offense of one of the trio’s members.
The music group, which is confirmed to take the stage at 4pm on the West Holts, faces criticism from music executives and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who stated their performance is not suitable for the festival.
One of the group’s members, Liam Óg Ó hannaidh, stands accused of displaying a flag representing the Hezbollah group, which is a designated terrorist organization, at a performance last November. He also faces allegations of chanting words in support of both Hamas and Hezbollah, which he declares were part of his stage character’s satirical comments.
In response to backlash, more than 100 musicians, including Massive Attack, Pulp, and Fontaines DC, have come to the group’s defense, signing a letter supporting their presence at the festival. Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily, who has taken over management of Glastonbury in recent years, also support the group, stating that Glastonbury is a platform for artists from around the world.
Their upcoming set is expected to be among the most contentious in the festival’s history, with concerns over the crowd size at the West Holts stage and the need for the BBC to uphold impartiality during broadcast.
The group released a video on Thursday possibly previewing their themes for their performance. They are addressing what they describe as the genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel, and the statement has already garnered significant support from the Glastonbury crowd, where Palestinian flags and related political messages are widespread.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/28/kneecap-glastonbury-controversial-sets
