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LAST UPDATE | 28 Jun
BELFAST RAP TRIO Kneecap packed out the West Holts stage at the Glastonbury Festival, leading to event organisers telling festival-goers to avoid the area.
In a brief post to social media, the music festival said: “No access to West Holts. Please head to another area of the site – thank you.”
It comes as the BBC has said that Kneecap’s performance will be shown later on-demand, after previously confirming that the gig would not be live-streamed. The stream was cut at the starting time of the band’s set.
Videos posted online show the set opening with a film reel of news clips featuring politicians and TV personality Sharon Osbourne calling for the group’s gig to be cancelled by the festival.
A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap trio to be removed from the line-up and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said their performance would not be “appropriate” after one of the members was charged with a terror offence.
A BBC spokesperson said earlier: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.
“While the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines.
“We don’t always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.”
It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision.
The band said on Instagram: “The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us… They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.”
Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, charged with allegedly displaying a flag of the proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah while saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a concert in November.
Ó hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail to appear before a judge again in August. His defence team signalled that they will be contesting the charges, and the band has said the accusations are politically-motivated.
The UK’s Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thinks the BBC “should not be showing” the group’s set.
Addressing the packed crowd, Kneecap memmber Naoise Ó Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglaí Bap, said: “The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so fuck Keir Starmer.”
He also said a “big thank you to the Eavis family” and said “they stood strong” amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up.
The band also led crowds in chants of “Free Palestine”, with Mo Chara commenting on the sheer number of flags at the festival.
ÓhAnnaidh, 27, wore a keffiyeh during the set, while member JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who performs under the name DJ Próvaí, wore his signature tri-coloured balaclava as well as a T-shirt that said: “We are all Palestine Action” in reference to the soon-to-be banned campaign group.
Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin’ In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival’s Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts.
On Saturday a BBC spokesperson said: “We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young’s headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.”
Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform.
The 1975 headlined the festival’s Pyramid Stage last night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation’s “best songwriter”.
With reporting by Press Association & Emma Hickey.
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