Kneecap, the Irish-speaking rap trio from the north of Ireland, have never been subtle -- whether it's about partying or their activism. There's a genocide going on in Gaza, and at nearly every public event they've appeared at, Kneecap have voiced that something needs to be done about it. If you're not familiar with them, a quick scroll on their social media feeds demonstrates the trio's moral obligation.
As their profile grows, new fans or listeners might not be privy to this. So when the rowdy trio took the desert stage at Coachella over these past couple weekends, their performances unsurprisingly might have had some flower crown-dawning attendees clutching their pearls.
The first weekend that Kneecap performed at Coachella, they noted that their anti-Thatcher and pro-Palestine, anti-Isreal messages were censored. To make sure that definitely did not happen on the following weekend, since their show was not officially streamed, they were joined by leftist social media personality Hasan Piker in broadcasting pro-Palestine messages on stage and on livestreams to bring awareness to the ongoing genocide.
Their valiant efforts created an uproar from Fox News and Sharon Osbourne. The latter was also bummed that Green Day voiced their opinions at such a large festival, noting that if it was their own headline show then it would have been "more appropriate." One might argue that that's exactly why it was important to broadcast activism with a larger, more diverse crowd. Osbourne also urged followers to advocate for the revocation of Kneecap's work visas.
The turbulence around Kneecap has not stopped. Today, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that they parted ways with their booking agency Independent Artist Group. Though, it's unclear if the split with their agent is actually related to any of this controversy. Kneecap have also released a statement about the massive reaction from their Coachella performance, along with a video of their manager pointing out on live radio the confused nature of the world fixating more about individual opinions rather than government-funded mass murder.
"Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign," their statement reads. It continues:
For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments' complicity in war crimes.
The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.
Let us be absolutely clear.
The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing.
Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.
We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we will not stay silent.
No media spin will change this.
Our only concern is the Palestinian people — the 20,000 murdered children and counting.
The young people at our gigs see through the lies.
They stand on the side of humanity and justice.
And that gives us great hope.
Kneecap ❤️
See Kneecap's post below.
KNEECAP STATEMENT:
Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign.
For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments' complicity in war crimes.… pic.twitter.com/mBojb5QBOP
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 25, 2025
Kneecap are touring the US and Canada this fall. The entire tour is sold out.
