Anti-’Israel’ band Kneecap to play Paris concert despite backlash

Northern Irish hip hop trio Kneecap is set to perform at the Rock en Seine festival in Saint-Cloud, near Paris, on Sunday, amid controversy over their pro-Palestinian views and a legal case against one of its members in the United Kingdom.

Read more: VIDEO: Kneecap rapper Mo Chara faces London court over Hezbollah flag

The festival organizers, who booked the band months ago, did not anticipate the controversy.

However, the group, which has expressed support for Palestine at its recent concerts, has come under scrutiny from authorities in several countries.

The band's rapper, Liam Ó hAnnaidh, known as "Mo Chara," appeared in a London court on Wednesday on charges of supporting a banned organization after waving a Hezbollah flag at a 2024 concert in the British capital. The court adjourned the case until Sept. 26.

While Kneecap has played sold-out shows, including a major performance at England's Glastonbury Festival in late June, a performance at a festival in Budapest was canceled in August after Hungarian authorities, who are allies of ‘Israel’, barred the band from entering the country, citing accusations of "anti-Semitism."

"Confirmation" of Good Conduct

Before the festival's opening, director Matthieu Ducos told Agence France-Presse, "We are confident that the group will perform in the correct manner.”

"This is a band whose audience is still relatively small in France, but it has gained widespread fame recently for very good artistic reasons, but also because of all this controversy, which has earned it widespread visibility and fans," he added.

In a rare move, the city of Saint-Cloud has withdrawn its 40,000-euro financial support for the festival. The Île-de-France region also canceled its 295,000-euro support for the 2025 edition, which was in addition to indirect support from ticket purchases, estimated at 150,000 euros. However, these amounts are unlikely to affect the festival, which has an annual budget of 16 to 17 million euros.

"Desecration"

Kneecap has made headlines in recent months for its pro-Palestinian and anti-‘Israel’ stance. The band was founded in 2017 and has a history of generating controversy. Its fans see the three members as daring for challenging the status quo, while critics consider them extremist and dangerous.

The band's name is a reference to the practice of kneecapping, which was used by republican militias during the Northern Ireland conflict.

The group performed two previous concerts in France without incident in early July and mid-August, but some voices called for the cancellation of the Saint-Cloud show.

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), wrote on X that allowing the band is “desecrating the memory of the 50 French victims of Hamas on October 7, as well as all the French victims of Hezbollah.”

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau emphasized the need to be vigilant against "any comments of an antisemitic nature, apology for terrorism or incitement to hatred”.

The festival's management, a joint venture between an American group and a French group owned by businessman Matthieu Pigasse, has defended Kneecap's participation.

Pigasse framed Sunday's performance as an issue of "freedom of creation and expression." He told the music website Billboard France, "We must not accept the principle of censorship because it could turn into a wave that sweeps across festivals and the media."