Kneecap led Glastonbury crowds in chants of “f*** Keir Starmer” during their set at the English festival on Saturday.
The Belfast group has been in the headlines after member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged last month with a terror offence in a London court.
As he took to the stage, Mo Chara said: “Glastonbury, I’m a free man.”
British police are now assessing videos of comments made by Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury on Saturday to decide whether any offences may have been committed.
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Bob Vylan performed on the West Holts Stage before Kneecap and led the crowd in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF”.
In a post on social media, Avon and Somerset Police said: “We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon.
“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians had called for Kneecap to be removed from the line-up, and prime minister Keir Starmer said their performance would not be “appropriate”.
Kneecap member Naoise Ó Cairealláin, who performs under the name Móglaí Bap, said: “The prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.”
[ Kneecap’s Mo Chara appears on stage with tape over mouth after terrorism chargeOpens in new window ]
Ó hAnnaidh (27), wore a keffiyeh during the set, while member JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who performs under the name DJ Próvaí, wore his signature tri-coloured balaclava as well as a T-shirt that said: “We are all Palestine Action” in reference to the soon-to-be banned campaign group.
In reference to his bandmate’s upcoming court date, Ó Cairealláin said they would “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine.”
News broadcasts criticising the rap trio that played from the sound system before they walked onto the stage were booed by the Glastonbury Festival audience.
The trio opened with the song Better Way To Live from their 2024 album Fine Art and also performed tracks including 3Cag and Hood.
Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed around 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags.
Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed it would not be live-streaming the Kneecap set but said the performance would likely be made available on-demand later.
The band said on Instagram: “The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us… They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.”
Ó hAnnaidh was charged with displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hizbullah, while saying “up Hamas, up Hizbullah” at a gig last November.
On June 18th, the rapper was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Ó Cairealláin and Ó Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in ‘Free Mo Chara’ T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20th.
Ahead of the group’s performance, Gemma Gibson (41), from Newcastle, said she was “really excited” to see Kneecap perform.
Asked if their set should have been cancelled due to the controversy, she said: “Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for… This is where they should be.”
Festival-goer Greg Robertson (30) said: “I don’t think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone’s trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future.”
Sara Majid (29) said she liked what Kneecap stood for.
“I’m intrigued by them,” she said.
Irish singer CMAT, who played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, performed a secret set at the BBC Introducing stage on Saturday.
Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin’ In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts.
The BBC will broadcast Young’s set after previously saying it would not be shown “at the artist’s request”. - PA/Reuters
