Kneecap may be dropped from the line-up of the upcoming Fontaines D.C. show at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester.
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The huge gig was announced back in September, and will see the Irish band headline the park to a total of 26,000 fans on August 15, with English Teacher also on the line-up.
Now, five weeks ahead of the show, it’s been reported that talks are in progress between Manchester City Council and the concert’s promoter about whether the band should be pulled from the line-up, apparently over “safety concerns”, per The Guardian.
“As with any major event being held in one of our parks, we are in regular discussions with the key stakeholders involved to ensure the event concerned can take place safely and effectively,” a Manchester city council spokesperson said.
Last Saturday (July 5), Kneecap supported Fontaines D.C. at a huge outdoor gig at Finsbury Park, with their performance going ahead without incident.
The controversy surrounding the Irish rap trio follows an investigation by the police into their on-stage comments and actions back in 2024, when Mo Chara allegedly displayed a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah.
While the band have denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and stated that they would not incite or condone violence against any individuals, Chara was forced to appear in court after being charged by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence. The rapper appeared in court just days before their Glastonbury 2025 performance and was given unconditional bail.
It comes after the band were dropped from the line-up to TRNSMT festival in Glasgow after the ensuing controversy.
Shortly following the announcement that they’d no longer be playing the Scottish festival, the trio quickly announced a replacement headline gig, taking place at the city’s O2 Academy on Tuesday July 8 instead, days before the festival kicked off on Friday (July 11).
Ahead of the show kicking off, Police Scotland said that they had a “proportionate and considered policing plan” in place for the event, adding they they were “working with a number of stakeholders to ensure the safety of all those attending these events and where possible minimise disruption to the people of Glasgow.”
At their replacement gig, the band hit out at First Minister John Swinney, who was among those who called for them to be dropped from the TRNSMT line-up. “What’s your first minister’s name?” Mo Chara asked the crowd, before adding: “They stopped us playing TRNSMT, but they can’t stop us playing Glasgow.”
Kneecap’s appearance at TRNSMT is not the only gig they have had cancelled recently, as events including Germany’s Hurricane Festival and Southside Festivals dropped them from the 2025 bill, as did Cornwall’s Eden Project. The band announced a replacement show in Plymouth for the latter, but this was cancelled too.
When asked by NME why they were dropped from TRNSMT, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Any decision on the line-up at TRNSMT is for the organisers and there was no prior consultation with Police Scotland before acts were booked.
“Officers have highlighted 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,” they added. “We have also passed on information from the public around safety concerns to allow organisers to make an informed decision on the running of the festival.
Pressure for them to be removed from festival line-ups this summer has largely come from MPs, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer. A large amount of pressure was put on Glastonbury festival to axe their slot, but organiser Emily Eavis and co. kept them on the line-up, and the band used the slot to call out the PM. The BBC did decide, however, not to broadcast the performance.
The band have also defended their “satirical” past concerts, arguing that it is not their job to “tell people what’s a joke and what’s not”, and recently shared the boisterous video for ‘The Recap’ – their new song which criticises Kemi Badenoch – the current leader of the Conservative Party.
At their recent show supporting Fontaines D.C., the band spoke out in support of Palestine again and addressed the legal issues faced by Mo Chara. “It’s nice to be back in London and not be up in court… It’s been a mad few weeks lads,” he said.
“It’s inhumane, I’m thinking of new things to say during a genocide,” he continued, before speaking about people in Gaza being starved and bombed from the sky. “It doesn’t matter how big or small our audience is, we will always use our platform.”
Most recently, the band have revealed that a poster for their upcoming show at Wembley Arena on September 18 has been banned from the London Underground, as it was deemed to be “likely to cause widespread or serious offence”.
“How petty can political policing and interference get…” the band wrote. “Speak out against genocide and they’ll use every single angle they can to silence you. Join the IOF [sic], murder kids, fly to London and nothing happens – you’ll be welcomed and applauded.”
They concluded: “See it. Say it. Censored.”
Elsewhere,Tom Morello has said Kneecap are “clearly the Rage Against The Machine of now”, and has praised them for speaking truth to power.
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