Kneecap‘s headline set at London’s Wide Awake festival is to go ahead as planned after a number of the group’s concerts were cancelled by organisers.
The group has seen gigs including a performance at the Eden Project in Cornwall on July 4th cancelled after old concert footage appeared to show a member of the group shouting “up Hamas, up Hizbullah”, and another video allegedly showing one saying “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP”.
In a statement confirming their performance in Brixton’s Brockwell Park would go ahead as planned, Wide Awake said: “After positive discussions with key stakeholders, Wide Awake festival can confirm that, as planned, Kneecap will be performing at this year’s festival on Friday, May 23rd at Brockwell Park.
“Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent.”
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Comprised of Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, the group has faced an investigation by counter-terrorism police in Britain after the videos, filmed in 2023 and 2024, became public.
The Wide Awake performance will be the band’s first UK gig since the investigation was launched.
Kneecap shows at Plymouth Pavilions and a number of German events, including Hurricane and Southside festivals, have also been cancelled.
In a post on X following the announcement, the group said: “Well well London, we’ll be seeing you for a headline show in Brockwell Park next Friday.
“Some tickets remain – this one is going to be very special.”
Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs, but claimed the old footage had been “exploited and weaponised”, while they also said they have “never supported” Hamas or Hizbullah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for Kneecap to be banned while other politicians have pushed for the group to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up.
Last week, Self Esteem, real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor, told Times Radio she would be “comfortable” sharing a stage with the trio at Glastonbury and added she felt it would be “a problem (for) culture, art, freedom of speech” if they did not perform.
Artists including CMAT, Massive Attack, The Pogues, Brian Eno, Pulp, Paul Weller, former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac and Primal Scream have defended the band following the furore.
They signed a statement saying there is a “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap while claiming that politicians are “strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band” while ignoring a “genocide” in Gaza.
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Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language, their best known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live and 3Cag.
Alongside Kneecap, the Wide Awake one-day festival will also see performances from the likes of CMAT, English Teacher and Peaches. – PA
