Kneecap, an Irish rap group known for its anti-Israel views, headlined England’s Reading Festival recently and turned the performance into a pro-‘Palestinian’ rally—cursing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and chanting anti-Israel slogans before a massive crowd.
The trio shouted “Free ‘Palestine'” and “Fuck Benjamin Netanyahu” during the set. A PA flag was mounted on the DJ booth throughout the performance, and the three members wove political messages into their act as the audience cheered. The group also attacked England’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, encouraging the crowd to call him a derogatory name.
Kneecap showed their support for Palestine in their latest festival appearance, as well as hitting out at British government. pic.twitter.com/0K5vFTUG4p
— Mirror Celeb (@MirrorCeleb) August 29, 2026
During the show, the band members said: “It’s important to us to use this stage for the things we believe are right, and there are people who haven’t been lucky right now, and those are our brothers and sisters in Palestine. As Irish people, we understand displacement, colonialism, and the forced starvation of a population.” They closed with a song addressing media criticism and political backlash over their pro-Palestinian positions.
.@KNEECAPCEOL close out Reading with mad energy and chaos as they perform ‘The Recap’ 🇮🇪🔥#Kneecap #RandL26 pic.twitter.com/1w9AqJzRJH
— NME (@NME) August 31, 2026
The group’s controversial views aren’t new. One member was accused in 2024 of displaying a flag supporting the terrorist organization Hezbollah (which is outlawed) during a performance in north London. The case against him was dismissed last September after the chief judge ruled the proceedings were “improperly initiated.” An appeal filed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was rejected by two High Court judges this past March.