Kneecap Pulled from TRNSMT Over “Safety Concerns”

Kneecap have been yanked from the TRNSMT lineup over so-called “safety concerns” — and they’re not buying it. At all.

The Belfast hip-hop trio announced they’ll now play Glasgow’s O2 Academy on July 8, making up for the cancellation with a middle finger and a mic check. “To the thousands who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us, we’re sorry… it’s out of our hands,” they wrote. “Glasgow’s always been huge for us. No issues. Ever. Make of that what you will.”

No prizes for guessing what’s behind the move: Mo Chara’s recent terror charge for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag onstage last year. The band say the footage was taken out of context, call the case “political policing,” and have consistently denied supporting any violent organisation. They’ve also maintained the real headline isn’t them — it’s Gaza.

That hasn’t stopped the dominoes from falling. Alongside TRNSMT, they’ve been booted from Germany’s Hurricane and Southside festivals, the Eden Project, and a Plymouth date that was meant to replace one of those cancellations. MPs have publicly called for more removals. The DUP even tried to sink their Belfast show with Fontaines D.C. (It sold out in 35 minutes anyway.)

All this while Kneecap headlined London’s Wide Awake Festival without a single issue. They addressed the charge head-on, with Chara saying it was meant to silence them ahead of Glastonbury: “It was quick. Too quick. Because Glastonbury is just around the corner. Fuck them.”

Whether you agree with every line they drop or not, what’s happening here matters. Because really, it’s not just about Kneecap. It’s about the growing push to criminalise artists for saying uncomfortable things in uncomfortable ways. And it begs the question: who gets to speak? Who gets silenced? And why?

Download, Glasto, TRNSMT I could list them all. If they want the energy Kneecap brings, they’d better be ready to defend the space for it, too.