Kneecap could be pulled from major UK show after shouting 'pro-Hamas' chants at concert

24 April 2025, 18:20 | Updated: 24 April 2025, 19:35

Kneecap's appearance at a major UK summer show has been called into question after footage emerged of them appearing to shout their support for Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Irish language rap group have been making headlines after they used a recent performance at Coachella to denounce Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Their performance infuriated Fox News commentators and Sharon Osbourne, who urged US authorities to revoke the work visas of Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara from Belfast and DJ Próvaí from Derry.

A video has since been published on X which appears to show Chara shouting 'Up Hamas' and 'Up Hezbollah' during a show at the O2 in Kentish Town in November 2024.

The rapper appears to say to the crowd: "Free Palestine. Free the six counties. Tiocfaidh ár lá (Irish language for 'our day will come'). Up Hamas. Up Hezbollah."

The band, who are now being investigated by counter-terrorism police, were set to support fellow Irishmen Fontaines D.C at their sell-out show in Finsbury Park on July 5.

But the trio are now at risk of being pulled from the bill after the park's local MP Catherine West told LBC that she had raised the controversial footage with the licensing authority, who are responsible for the gig going ahead.

Kneecap have always been avid pro-Palestine supporters and used their show at Coachella to lead the audience in chants of “free, free Palestine”, whilst messages such as "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people" appeared on screens behind them.

The rappers also carried out a chant celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher, which they claimed was cut from the festival’s livestream.

Their performance infuriated some sections of American society, with Fox News commentators accusing the trio of bringing “Nazi Germany” sentiments to America.

Posting a clip of the segment on their social media accounts, Kneecap said the commentator’s admission that she had not previously heard of the band was the “only part of this shite that made any sense".

The group also said it had received thousands of such endorsements as well as “hundreds of violent Zionist threats”, adding that almost all the concerts of a US tour scheduled for October have sold out.

Sharon Osbourne also took to X yesterday to slam Kneecap's "aggressive” political statements, writing: "“Music’s primary purpose is to unite people. It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organisations or spreading hate.

“This band openly support terrorist organisations. This behaviour raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA.”

More than 40,000 fans are expected to descend on Finsbury Park for the Fontaines D.C show in July.

Alongside Kneecap, Australian punk rockers Amyl And The Sniffers, NYC indie outfit Been Stellar and fellow Irish group Cardinals will also be on the bill.