Kneecap’s headline Wide Awake performance to go ahead as planned following recent show cancellations
Wide Awake Festival has confirmed that Kneecap’s scheduled headline show will go ahead as planned this month after the trio were recently removed from multiple festival and gig line-ups.
The Irish rap trio top the bill of this year’s event on Friday, May 23, at London’s Brockwell Park. It marks their first live performance since they appeared at Coachella in April.
During a performance at Coachella in April, the trio projected images onto the screen behind them, reading: “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people”.
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Following the show, Kneecap’s US agent and visa sponsor Independent Artist Group (IAG) confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that they are “no longer working” with the group.
The group then came under fire after footage resurfaced from a 2023 performance that appeared to show a member of the trio shouting: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP”.
The trio were subsequently removed from several line-ups, including a performance at the Eden Project, shows in Hamburg, Berlin, and Cologne, and appearances at Germany’s Hurricane and Southside sister festivals.
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Despite the recent slew of cancellations, London’s Wide Awake Festival has confirmed that the trio will continue to perform this month after “positive discussions with key stakeholders”.
“Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene, and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent,” the festival said in a statement on Instagram.
In April, over 40 musicians signed an open letter offering solidarity to Kneecap after several senior politicians in the UK called for the trio to be removed from festival line-ups. The letter received support from artists including Annie Mac, Fontaines D.C, Primal Scream, BICEP, and more.
Earlier this week, Kneecap released a new line of satire T-shirts with their faces printed on the front, with a ‘WANTED’ sign above. Underneath, text reads: “Kneecap: By order of British Metropolitan Police Counter-Terror Unit”.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
