ADVERTISEMENT Irish rappers Kneecap were supposed to be headlining the last night of this year’s Sziget music festival but ended up being banned not just from the event but from Hungary for three years.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced last month that the trio were deemed a “national security threat” and officially banned from entering Hungary for “anti-Semitism and glorifying terror”.
Still, that didn’t stop the band from getting their voices heard loud and clear.
Kneecap posted a message on social media, urging fans to assemble at the Buzz Stage at 23:05 on Monday. “We will have a message for you,” they teased.
When the time came, a huge crowd – with many waving Palestinian flags – watched a video message play over the big screen.
“Hello Sziget. We hope you’re all enjoying the festival and staying safe,” the message began. “We wish we could be there with you at one of the best festivals in the world and the first European festival Kneecap ever played. We can’t because of one hate filled man. Viktor Orbán.”
This was met with boos and chants of “f*ck Orbán.”
The message continued: “We have been convicted of zero crimes in any country ever. But we will call out oppression. For calling out Israel’s genocidal campaign Viktor has banned us from your beautiful country for 3 years. Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people. Viktor Orbán and his government support it. Viktor Orbán and his government tried to shut down Pride in Budapest. They failed. We must stand together.”
The broadcast ended with: “Oppose Orbán. Oppose Israel. Oppose genocide. Free Palestine.”
Watch the moment below:
Here is the full video posted on Kneecap’s Instagram:
The band has denied accusations of anti-Semitism, claiming that those attacking the band “weaponize” the false accusation to “distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.”
Undeterred by accusations, Kneecap has repeatedly used their platform at various music festivals to speak out not against the Jewish people but against Israel’s war in Gaza.
They did so at Coachella – where they denounced the US government’s funding of “war criminal Israel”; at Best Kept Secret – where the pre-show screening denounces the “Israeli genocide and the Western media’s cover-up”; at Glastonbury – where their controversial set alongside Bob Vylan launched a police investigation; and most recently during their set at Øyafestivalen in Oslo.
Several festivals have cancelled Kneecap shows – including Germany’s Hurricane and Southside festivals, and it was recently announced that the band’s upcoming gig in Vienna on 1 September has been cancelled “due to acute safety concerns”, following political pressure from Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ).
While Hungarian audiences were deprived of Kneecap, many other festivals are sticking with the band – including the upcoming Green Man Festival in Wales. The band has more than forty concerts remaining on its calendar for this year – including dates in Sweden, Norway, Finland, France and Belgium – and then a US leg which kicks off in October.
Since Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, multiple UN human rights experts have stated that Israel’s military actions in Gaza amount to genocide, with the International Court of Justice finding claims of genocide plausible.
Israel has rejected the genocide accusations and maintain that its operations are lawful acts of self-defence. Claims that Kneecap has vocally rebuked. And continue to do so – whether they are kept on the festival line-up or no.
