The outspoken Belfast rap crew are bringing their mix of beats and politics to France, undeterred by official disapproval over their support for Palestine and condemning Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
Irish rap group Kneecap are set to take the stage outside Paris on Sunday, performing at the Rock en Seine festival in Saint-Cloud despite mounting controversy, funding cuts and calls for their slot to be cancelled.
The trio, who blend political edge with swaggering humour, have never shied away from provocation. Known for backing the Palestinian cause and their outspoken criticism of Israel, they have turned concerts into political arenas as much as musical ones.
One member, Liam O’Hanna – stage name Mo Chara – is currently facing a British terror charge after allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag during a London show last November.
In June, he used the Glastonbury stage to declare: “Israel are war criminals.”
More recently, Kneecap were barred from Hungary and missed their planned performance at Budapest’s Sziget Festival – a decision widely seen as a nod to Hungary’s close ties with Israel.
Still, the controversy has not slowed them down. The group have already played in France twice this summer – at Eurockéennes in Belfort and at Cabaret Vert in Charleville-Mézières – without incident.
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Festival under pressure
Rock en Seine organisers faced a political storm after refusing to drop Kneecap from the line-up.
Local authorities in Saint-Cloud pulled their €40,000 subsidy, while the wider Île-de-France region also cancelled its funding for the 2025 edition.
Yet the festival, with a budget of around €16 to €17 million, remains financially solid.
Director Matthieu Ducos struck a optimistic tone, telling journalists: “We are confident that the group will perform in the correct manner.”
Kneecap are scheduled to hit the stage at 6:30pm local time – a slot the organisers have no intention of scrapping.
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Tensions in France
The show takes place against a tense national backdrop. Since the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing war in Gaza, France has wrestled with rising concerns over antisemitism.
Jewish groups have strongly objected to Kneecap’s appearance.
Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), accused the group of “desecrating the memory” of French victims of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has warned police to remain alert to “any comments of an antisemitic nature, apology for terrorism or incitement to hatred” during the concert.
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From Belfast to the world
Hailing from Belfast, Kneecap channel Irish republican themes and local slang into a swaggering rap style that has won them a cult following.
Even their name is a provocation: it refers to the notorious punishment shootings, or “kneecappings,” carried out by republican paramilitaries during the Northern Ireland conflict.
More than a quarter-century after the Good Friday Agreement, Kneecap’s blend of Irish identity, political theatre and dance-floor energy continues to stir debate.
Love them or loathe them, their brand of rebellious performance has carried them from the streets of Belfast to Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, and now onto one of France’s most prestigious summer festivals.
