Northern Ireland hip-hop trio Kneecap recently announced the cancellation of their U.S. tour, which consisted of 15 dates in October. In a post on Instagram, the group shared the disappointing news with fans. Their recent legal case in London is the reason for the cancellation.
“Due to the proximity of our next court hearing in London to the first date of the tour, as the British government continues their witch-hunt, we will have to cancel all 15 U.S. tour dates this October,” they wrote in the post. “With every show sold out, to tens of thousands of fans, this is news we are sad to deliver.”
They continued, “But once we win our court case, which we will, we promise to embark on an even bigger tour to all you great heads.”
The first part of the post concluded by stating that refunds would be provided at the point of purchase. In the next slide, Kneecap shared that they had something “very special” and “top secret” planned for U.S. fans.
Kneecap Perform at Rock en Seine While Still Embroiled With Legal Issues
“We also have some good news,” Kneecap shared in the second Instagram slide. “We will be sharing something very special for U.S. fans next week so that we can still link in with you all in October. It’s top secret for now, but all will be revealed next week — stay tuned.”
Additionally, they included a note that Canadian shows were not affected by the cancellations. They also shared their continued support for Palestine.
In May, Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offense in the U.K. In September 2024, he showed alleged support for the Hezbollah militia at a concert. This included presenting the flag while saying, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”
Ó hAnnaidh’s first London court appearance was in June this year. He appeared a second time on August 20 while remaining on unconditional bail. The recent date was to determine if the charge was made within the six-month statute of limitations.
Kneecap also performed at Rock En Seine in Paris on August 24. The festival had previously announced that they would not be dropping them from the lineup, losing substantial funding in response. But they essentially stood up for the group when so many other festivals and venues have dropped them this year over their unwavering support for Palestine.
Photo by GUILLAUME BAPTISTE/AFP via Getty Images
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