Kneecap fans paying for legal fees as band play massive sold out Dublin gig at £58 a ticket
Tomorrow (19th), the day after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court to answer a charge of supporting a proscribed organisation, Kneecap take the stage in front of a sell-out crowd in Dublin's Fairview Park, for which punters have paid the equivalent of £57.67 a ticket plus booking fees.
At the same time a crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help pay legal fees relating to the case, which the rap trio stated on social media was started by “some friends” to “take on the British witch-hunt”.
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Hide AdAs of this afternoon, more than £19,000 was in the pot from over 750 pledges. Organisers have a target of raising £30,000 on CrowdJustice, which the campaign states “will help cover legal fees and experts skilled in handling complex cases sensitive to artistic and free speech rights”.


Concerts in Fairview Park have a maximum capacity of 8,000 people, meaning ticket sales alone for tomorrow’s gig could wind up bringing in around £460,000.
Although the band would only get a slice of cash from the gate, Kneecap also do a roaring trade in branded T-shirts, balaclavas and hoodies; indeed, they’ve sought to merchandise their recent controversies, taking pre-orders for a shirt with the slogan ‘Free Mo Chara’ – the stage name of O hAnnaidh, who is currently out on bail.
His next court appearance on August 20 comes during a gap in a busy month of shows for Kneecap, as over the previous fortnight the act are due to perform at festivals in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Hungary, Wales, Belgium and France, as well putting in a support slot at a high-profile show by Irish band Fontaines DC in Manchester.
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Hide AdThe group had long planned time off the road, with no gigs lined up for around a week in August; O hAnnaidh is to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court during that break, after which Kneecap heads off to another French festival followed by a second support slot for Fontaines DC, this time at Belfast’s Vital festival.


They’re also listed to play some European festivals in early September, followed by a mostly sold-out American tour in autumn, and two dates in a Dublin arena in December.
The trio were axed from high-profile festivals in Scotland and Germany as well as a summer headline slot at the Eden Project in Cornwall, after outrage engulfed them over the last few months about remarks they were recorded making on-stage.
The band claimed the controversy was being weaponised in an attempt to silence them over their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel.
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Hide AdLast year, however, the group angered many of their left-wing fans when, despite their frequent comments backing Palestine, they broke a boycott to play an English music festival sponsored by a company with financial ties to arms manufacturers suppling Israel’s military.


Half of the acts booked for the Great Escape in May 2024 pulled out because of that sponsor but Kneecap performed anyway, leading to accusations of hypocrisy; the rappers said they had to play as they’re a “working band” while dismissing their critics as middle-class. The incident happened a couple of months before the release of a movie about and starring the group.