Irish rap group Kneecap has canceled all of its upcoming tour dates in the U.S. due to a scheduling conflict with a band member’s court date in London over a terrorism related charge.
Kneecap announced the news Monday in a social media post, saying that all 15 of its October shows in the U.S. had to be axed “as the British government continues it’s witch-hunt.”
“With every show fully sold out, to tens of thousands of fans, this news is sad to deliver,” Kneecap wrote. “But once we win our court case, which we will, we promise to embark on an even bigger tour to all you great heads.”
Refunds are available to those who had tickets to the shows, the band said.
Kneecap found itself in legal trouble in May, after police in London accused Liam O’Hanna, 27, of violating a part of the U.K.’s terrorism law that bans people from displaying flags “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter” of groups the country considers terrorists.
The Metropolitan police at the time said it had launched an investigation into O’Hanna — whose name in Irish is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh and who performs as Mo Chara in the hip-hop trio — after it saw a video online of the singer displaying the flag of Hezbollah at a venue north of London on Nov. 21.
Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the U.K. and other countries over its militant activities and its ties to Iran. The group is considered a Shia political party and militant organization based in Lebanon.
Kneecap in April performed at Coachella in front of a screen featuring the words “F— Israel, Free Palestine.” That instance did not yield criminal charges in the U.S., but did prompt festival organizers to censor the livestream of the band’s performance, the group claimed in a post on X at the time.
Kneecap has characterized criticism of its views on Israel’s war in Gaza as a “coordinated smear campaign”
“Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter,” Kneecap said in a statement in April. “They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.”
The band told its U.S. fans to hold tight, and that good news is coming.
“We will be sharing something very special for US fans next week so that we can still link in with you all in October,” Kneecap said Monday. “It’s top secret for now but all will be revealed next week — stay tuned.”
Kneecap’s Canadian tour dates in Vancouver and Toronto will not be affected, as the band said it plans on playing four sold out shows.
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