Kneecap: Irish Hip-Hop Group’s Coachella Controversy Defined

Kneecap has been making headlines for a lot of years, however the hip-hop group’s newest look at Coachella has caught the eye of the world.

The Belfast-based group carried out on each weekends on the California pageant. As has turn into customized for his or her reveals, their performances included heavy political messaging concerning the battle in Gaza.

Whereas Coachella organizers tried to censor the band after the primary weekend by eradicating their set from the pageant’s livestream, this solely elevated curiosity within the efficiency.

Here is every part you must know concerning the band and what’s occurred since their Coachella efficiency.

Kneecap is understood for provocative lyrics and outspoken political beliefs

The band, which shaped in 2017, is made up of rappers Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí, who rap in each English and Irish.

The band’s “reveals and tracks flip between satirical efficiency artwork and rampageous raves,” reads their Spotify biography.

In 2025, their semi-autobiographical movie, “Kneecap,” received the BAFTA for excellent debut, recognizing the work of first-time director Wealthy Peppiatt. Within the movie, Chara, Bap, and DJ Próvaí performed variations of themselves alongside Michael Fassbender.

The Irish Instances stories that the band’s debut tune “C.E.A.R.T.A.” was impressed by a run-in with the police after Bap and his pal have been caught spray-painting the phrase, which is Irish for “rights,” on a bus cease. Whereas Bap wasn’t arrested, his pal was, and he spent an evening in police custody ready for a Gaeilge-English translator as he refused to talk in English to the law enforcement officials on obligation.

Since releasing their debut album in 2018, the band has been the middle of a number of different controversies. Notably, they grew to become concerned in a authorized battle with the UK authorities in 2024 after they have been awarded a $18,970 (£14,250) music trade grant however have been later blocked due to their inventive output, which frequently promotes Irish republicanism and opposition to British rule in Northern Eire. The group filed a discrimination lawsuit in opposition to the UK authorities, which they received.

Whereas performing in Australia in March, the band introduced onstage the pinnacle of a statue of George V, which had been faraway from a park in Victoria throughout a sequence of protests in opposition to colonial monuments in 2024.

Kneecap made their debut efficiency at Coachella on April 11

The band carried out on each weekends of the pageant, with each performances that includes political messaging voiced by the band and projected onto the screens behind them. NME reported that in their first efficiency, the trio led the viewers in a chant concerning the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which was censored from the livestream on the pageant’s official YouTube web page.

The band responded to the article on X, saying it was “not the one factor that was reduce,” as in addition they included messaging relating to the Israel-Palestine battle of their set.

On the finish of their present through the second weekend of Coachella on April 18, which the organizers didn’t stream, three messages appeared on the screens behind the band.

“Israel is committing genocide in opposition to the Palestinian folks,” the projected messages learn. “It’s being enabled by the US authorities who arm and fund Israel regardless of their struggle crimes. Fuck Israel; free Palestine.”

In the course of the efficiency, the band led the viewers in chants of “Free, free Palestine.”

Kneecap was not the one artist at Coachella who shared political messaging concerning the struggle in Gaza on the pageant. Inexperienced Day entrance man Billie Joe Armstrong altered the lyrics of “Jesus of Suburbia” and sang “Runnin’ away from ache, like the children from Palestine (the unique line is: “Runnin’ away from ache once you’ve been victimized”).

Bob Vylan and Blonde Redhead, two of the pageant’s smaller acts, displayed the Palestinian flag throughout their units, based on video footage taken by attendees.

Kneecap faces a wave of criticism over their Coachella performances

One outstanding trade determine who spoke out in opposition to Kneecap was Sharon Osbourne, the spouse and supervisor of Black Sabbath entrance man Ozzy Osbourne.

In a prolonged put up on X on April 22, she criticized Goldenvoice, the pageant organizer, because it had allowed “artists to make use of the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression” and mentioned that the 2025 pageant shall be remembered “as a pageant that compromised its ethical and non secular integrity.” The Hollywood Reporter reported that Goldenvoice was “blindsided” by the messaging in Kneecap’s set.

Osbourne additionally referred to as out Inexperienced Day, which headlined the Saturday night of the pageant on each weekends, stating that their inclusion of pro-Palestinian sentiments “would have been extra acceptable at their very own live performance, not at a pageant.”

She discovered extra fault with Kneecap, stating that the band “took their efficiency to a special degree by incorporating aggressive political statements.” She requested her followers to hitch in her “advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”

The following day, it was reported that the Metropolitan Police within the UK have been assessing a video taken at a Kneecap live performance in London in November 2024, which had been revealed on social media.

The BBC reported that the footage appeared to indicate a member of the group shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” whereas draped in a Hezbollah flag.

The 2 militant teams are thought-about terrorist organizations by the UK, and expressing assist for both is forbidden below the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Metropolitan Police mentioned in a press release that it had been made conscious of the video and had been “referred to the Counter Terrorism Web Referral Unit for evaluation and to find out whether or not any additional police investigation could also be required.”

Kneecap responds to the Coachella fallout

Chara, whose actual title is Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, informed Rolling Stone in an electronic mail that the band has spoken about Palestinian battle “at each single gig for the reason that band’s formation.”

“We consider we’ve an obligation to make use of our platform once we can to lift the problem of Palestine,” he mentioned within the assertion revealed on April 23, “and it was essential for us to talk out at Coachella because the USA is the principle funder and provider of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza.”

He added that the band wasn’t conscious that their efficiency on the primary weekend of Coachella had been reduce brief on Coachella’s YouTube livestream till the following day.

In response to Osbourne’s name to have their visas revoked, he mentioned her “rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, however she ought to hearken to ‘Struggle Pigs’ that was written by Black Sabbath.”

In a social media put up on April 25, Kneecap described the response to their Coachella set as a “coordinated smear marketing campaign.”

Kneecap splits with their US agent

The Hollywood Reporter reported on April 24 that Unbiased Artist Group not represents the band within the US. Main Expertise Worldwide represents the band outdoors the US.

The outlet mentioned that IAG, which has artists comparable to Metallica, Billy Joel, and 50 Cent on its roster, parted methods with Kneecap between the primary and second Coachella weekends.

The reserving company beforehand sponsored the trio’s US work visas, however that’s not the case, per The Hollywood Reporter. With out legitimate work visas, people from abroad can’t work within the US.

The band’s web site states that they’re scheduled to start a US tour on October 1, which consists of 21 dates and is generally bought out.

Representatives for Kneecap didn’t reply to a request for remark despatched from Enterprise Insider relating to the break up from IAG and the standing of their upcoming US reveals.