From terror charges to triumphant festival sets—how Ireland’s most controversial band is fighting back. Will Glastonbury be their next battleground?
Irish rap provocateurs Kneecap roared back onto the stage this week with two explosive performances.
It’s just days after member Mo Chara (real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) was charged with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a 2024 London gig.
The band slammed the charges as a “carnival of distraction,” insisting they’ve never supported banned groups like Hamas or Hezbollah.
Kicking off with a secret gig at London’s iconic 100 Club on May 22, they followed up with a defiant headline set at Wide Awake Festival, where Mo Chara claimed authorities “tried to stop this gig” and accused them of rushing his charge to sabotage their upcoming Glastonbury slot.
The Wide Awake crowd erupted as Kneecap doubled down on their pro-Palestine messaging, projecting “Israel is committing genocide” onscreen—a move that first sparked backlash at Coachella.
Amid chants of “Free Palestine,” Mo Chara framed the legal battle as a warning to artists: “The Israeli lobbyists are trying to prove that if you speak out, they’ll hit you where it hurts.”
Meanwhile, the festival itself narrowly escaped cancellation after a local group’s legal win over park usage limits, though organisers vowed the show would go on, pledging to “deliver these culturally significant events” with care.
Want to see Kneecap defy the system live? Catch their controversial Glastonbury set next month – and stay tuned to see how this legal battle unfolds.
