Kneecap festival axe: Safety concerns see Belfast rappers cut from Glasgow's prestigious TRNSMT
Kneecap have been chopped from a major UK music festival, with organisers saying they were cut due to concerns about safety at the event.
The controversial Belfast rap trio, one of whom is facing terror charges, were supposed to play to up to 50,000 people on the first night of Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival on July 11, appearing on a bill headlined by hip-hop megastar 50 Cent.
But that’s not happening now, and the group have instead arranged a show in the city’s 2,500-capacity O2 Academy for July 8 instead.
TRSNMT organisers said the band would not be part of the line-up after concerns were expressed by police about safety at the event.
Police Scotland said any decision on the line-up is for TRNSMT organisers, and that no prior consultation with the force was made before acts were booked.
Last week, however, the force stated that “the potential reaction of such a large audience to this band would require a significant policing operation in order to support the delivery of a safe event”, adding they’d passed concerns to the people running the festival.
Posting on X, Kneecap stated: “To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry. It is out of our hands.
“Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. We’ve played there many many times, with no issues – ever. Make of that what you will. To try to make up for it, we will be at your O2 Academy on Tuesday July 8.”
They also quoted a statement from TRNSMT, which a festival spokeswoman confirmed, saying: “Due to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap will no longer perform at TRNSMT on Friday, 11 July. We thank fans for their understanding.”
In the wake of the cancellation, another British festival – the much smaller 2000 Trees, based in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire – said it intends to keep Kneecap as headliners for its opening night, which takes place the day before the group were due to appear at TRNSMT.
Stated the festival on social media: “After loads of speculation and numerous requests from the press of late, we are happy to confirm that YES! Kneecap are still headlining the Thursday at 2000 Trees this July.”
The controversy that has engulfed the trio has already seen them lose other high-profile appearances, including slots at two major festivals in Germany and a planned headline set at the Eden Project in Cornwall – and there are still calls for them to be cut from a support slot for Dublin post-punk act Fontaines DC at August’s Vital Festival in Belfast.
Earlier this month, Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged under the name Liam O’Hanna by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence over the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag at a gig in November last year.
The group, also made up of Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, last month apologised to the families of murdered MPs after footage emerged of one of the band apparently saying “the only good Tory’s a dead Tory, kill your local MP” on stage, but insisted the clip has been “exploited and weaponised”.
They also said they have “never supported” banned organisation Hezbollah.