Why are Kneecap controversial?
22 May 2025, 13:53 | Updated: 22 May 2025, 14:07
Kneecap are still set to perform at Brixton’s Brockwell Park for Wide Awake Festival this weekend despite calls for their show to be cancelled.
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The Irish-language rap trio have seen shows called off by organisers after footage reportedly emerged of a flag flying at a London show in support of terror group Hezbollah.
Liam Og O Hannaigh, who raps as Mo Chara, has been charged over an alleged incident which is said to have related to a Kentish Town Forum gig back in November.
But despite this and calls from politicians for Wide Awake organisers to cancel their set, Kneecap are still lined up to headline the festival on Friday.
“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,” organisers said in a statement.
Here is what you need to know about the band and how they have caused controversy.
Who are Kneecap?
Kneecap are a hip hop trio from Belfast who came to the fore in the late 2010s and noted for their lyrics which merge English with Irish Gaelic.
They are rappers Liam Og O Hannaigh (who performs as Mo Chara) and Naoise O Caireallain (Moglai Bap), childhood friends who formed Kneecap with former teacher JJ O'Dochartaigh - DJ Provai, who produces their songs.
Focused from the outset on promoting Irish republicanism and rights, the band take their name from ‘kneecapping,’ a term used to describe the punishment of being shot in the joint - something inflicted on thousands of dissidents by Republicans during the Troubles.
As well as lyrics about the state of Ireland, the group also stand against Zionism and British imperialism but are just as likely to be heard rapping about drugs and youth culture.
Kneecap built a following even before the release of their debut single Cearta in 2017 by performing around Belfast and taking part in Irish language marches.
The song was banned from Northern Irish radio upon release but underground support was such that a petition was launched for it to be included.
The band’s status in Ireland only grew from there but support in the UK really took off with the release of their second album Fine Art last year which coincided with the release of their self-titled film, which depicted the trio’s rise to play in arenas.
Why are Kneecap controversial?
Kneecap are vocally in favour of a united Ireland but have been criticised for going too far in their activism in allegedly promoting Hezbollah and calling for Tory MPs to be murdered.
At the point of the band being nominated for the Sound of 2025, Queen’s University emeritus professor Liam Kennedy said it was wrong for the BBC to promote such a group.
“The group Kneecap has had a very soft ride from rather soft-minded critics,” he said. “The BBC should have higher standards, and should adopt a critical distance. The use of the term Kneecap as their name trivialises the suffering of thousands of victims of paramilitary-style punishment attacks at the hands of the IRA, UDA, and UVF.”
Shadow Home Secretary urges Glastonbury Festival to cancel Kneecap
LBC’s Nick Ferrari has said that the band have crossed the line with lines about whether listeners should murder Conservative MPs. “Why aren’t these people just nicked?” he said. Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch have both also criticised the comments in the wake of David Amess and Jo Cox both being murdered in the past decade.
The band later released a statement stating that the gig footage, where a member appeared to shout “the only good Tory is a dead Tory,” was taken out of context. “Kneecap's message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope,” the statement read.
The situation escalated further when Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism act on the back of the alleged Kentish Town Forum incident, something the band have said they will fight.
“A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective? To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out,” a statement read.
Are Kneecap playing shows in 2025?
Kneecap have seen their shows at the Eden Sessions, Plymouth Pavilions, and festivals in Germany all cancelled.
They are still set to play the aforementioned Brixton show as well as a support slot for Fontaines DC at Boucher Playing Fields in Belfast in August. Other British festivals still going ahead are 2000trees on July 10, TRNSMT in Scotland on July 11, Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on August 15 and Belfast Vital on August 29.
The intensity and scrutiny around Kneecap has grown since their performance at Coachella festival, which saw the group attempt to raise awareness of issues in Palestine. Images circulated showing the band had put messages behind the stage that stated that Israel’s action in Gaza and the West Bank accounted to genocide.
Sharon Osbourne accused the band of “hate speech” and turning Coachella into a “Hamas fan club”.
“The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing,” a statement on Twitter read.
“Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponise false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.
“We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are.
“What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we will not stay silent.”
The band have their supporters but Troubles veteran James Cropper has told LBC that the band “should have known better”.
“As someone from Belfast and also of the Post-Good Friday Agreement generation, it is disappointing to see such a turn towards the promotion of violent groups and acts,” he said.
He added: “But there is a huge difference between referencing our history at home and its projection onto complex conflict in the Middle East. Failing to understand this has led Kneecap to the position they now find themselves in.”
