Kneecap banned from Hungary ahead of appearance at major music festival
EU country bans Kneecap for three years on grounds of ‘national security’
- Irish rap trio Kneecap has been banned from entering Hungary, preventing their scheduled performance at the Sziget Festival.
- Hungarian authorities cited accusations of “antisemitic hate speech” and “praise for Hamas” as the justification for the three-year ban, claiming it would seriously threaten national security.
- One of the band members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is due to reappear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on a terrorism-related charge on 20 August for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig.
- The Belfast-based band, known for their support for Palestine, deny supporting Hamas or Hezbollah and state they condemn all attacks on civilians.
- Sziget Festival organisers earlier resisted calls from the Hungarian government to remove Kneecap from their line-up, affirming the festival's commitment against hatred and prejudice.