Clash Live, in collaboration with WeAre8...
24 · 05 · 2025
Kneecap took the stage as the headliner at the Wide Awake Festival in London overnight.
The Northern Irish band has been at the center of significant controversy following their passionate pro-Palestinian performances at Coachella.
Sharon Osbourne called for the group's visa to be revoked, and footage of Kneecap's performance at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London last year was discovered by right-wing media. During that concert, band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was reportedly seen waving a Hezbollah flag, resulting in a terrorism-related charge from the police.
Mo Chara is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18th, and Kneecap has addressed recent events in their new single, “The Recap.”
While performing a headline set at Brockwell Park’s Wide Awake festival, Ó hAnnaidh spoke about the terrorism charge, stating: “I went for an interview with counter-terror police and within days, they reached their decision to charge me.”
It appears the police sought to prevent Kneecap from performing at the festival, as he later told the audience: “They tried to stop this gig. Honestly, you have no idea how close they came to pulling us.”
Throughout Kneecap’s performance, screens displayed pro-Palestinian messages, and the band donated their payment for the Wide Awake headlining spot to Médecins Sans Frontières.
Earlier in the day, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke on the main stage, addressing the festival-goers. He expressed solidarity with those affected by conflict and urged the UK government to cease arms sales to Israel.
He stated: “The notion that the last sight many malnourished, desperate children should encounter is a fence at the edge of Gaza while beyond it lie the essentials they need—food, water, medicine, anesthetics, and antiseptics—is a deliberate act of starvation.”
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Kneecap was the main act at the Wide Awake Festival in London last night. The Northern Irish band has been surrounded by significant controversy due to their bold performances.
