JJ O Dochartaigh of the Hip Hop Trio Kneecap performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Saturday 28 June 2025.
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Palton, England-Irish rap group Kneecap gave a passionate performance for tens of thousands of fans on Saturday at the Glastonbury festival despite criticism by British politicians and a terror costs for one of the trio.
Liam and ó Hannaidh, who acts under the stage name Mo Chara, has been accused under the Terrorism Act for supporting a forbidden organization for the alleged waving of a Hezbollah flag during a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was sued under the Anglicized version of his name, Liam O’hanna, is on unconditional bail for a further hearing in August.
“Glastonbury, I’m a free man!” Ó Hannaidh screamed when Kneecap entered the stage in the West Holts Field of Glastonbury, which contains around 30,000 people. Dozens of Palestinian flags flew into the capacity project when the show opened with an audio assembly of news clips that refers to the band critics and legal misery.
Between the songs with a high energy in which fans formed a large Mosh Pit, the band members led the audience of “Free Palestine” and “Free M Chara.” They also aimed an expletive loaded singing on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said he didn’t think it was “suitable” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury.
Liam Og, Left, and Naoise O Cairellain of the Hiphop Trio Knieschijf Perform during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Saturday 28 June 2025. (Scott a Garfitt/Invision/AP)
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The trio thanked festival organizers Michael and Emily Eavis for resisting the pressure to cancel the action of Kneecap and gave a shout to Palestine Action, a protest group that the British government intends to prohibit terrorism after its members in a royal Air Force Base.
The Belfast trio is known for anarchic energy, satirical texts and use of symbolism associated with the Irish Republican movement, which tries to unite Noord -Ierland, currently part of the UK, with the Republic of Ireland.
More than 3,600 people were killed during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland with Irish Republican militants, pro-British loyalistic militias and the British security forces. Kneecap takes its name from a brutal punishment – shooting in the leg – which was treated by paramilitary groups to informants and drug dealers.
The flag of Palestine is waved in a crowd of festival goers at the performance of the Hip Hop Trio Kneecap during the Glastonbury festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Saturday 28 June 2025.
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The group has had to deal with criticism of texts loaded with expletives and drug references, and for political explanations, especially because videos are said to show the band that called “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and called people to kill legislators.
Members of the group say that they do not support Hezbollah or Hamas, nor violence, and ó Hannaidh says he has picked up a flag that was thrown on stage without knowing what it represented. Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of the support for the Palestinian cause during the war in Gaza.
A performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, where the band accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians, made possible by the US government, led to calls for the American visas to be withdrawn.
Charli XCX performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Saturday 28 June 2025.
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Since then, various kneecap performances have been canceled as a result of the controversy.
But Fan Gemma Gibson, from Newcastle in Noordoost -Evengand, said that the group did not allow to play “would be entirely against everything that Glastonbury stands for.
“I think nowadays it is so important to be able to speak freely, to be able to express your opinion and to stand up for what is good,” she said. “This is where they should be.”
The BBC, which broadcasts dozens of Glastonbury versions, did not show Kneecap’s Set live, but said it was planning to make it available online later.
About 200,000 ticket holders have gathered at Worthy Farm in Southwest England for the most prestigious Summer Music Festival of Great Britain, which offers nearly 4,000 artists on 120 stages. Headline acts that end for three days on Sunday are Neil Young, Charli XCX, Rod Stewart, Busta Rhymes, Olivia Rodrigo and Doechii.
Lorde performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Friday 27 June 2025.
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On Saturday it turned out to be a surprise act in the program when “Patchwork” Britpop Titans Pulp, 30 years after their first Glastonbury performance.
Other highlights included an unannounced set of new -Zeeland singer Lorde, a raw reception for Gen X -icon Alanis Morissette and an emotional return for Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, two years after he had taken a break to adapt to the impact of the neurological state Tourette syndrome.
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