Kneecap issue statement after Coachella backlash from Sharon Osbourne, Fox News & more

CoachellaAmanda Hatfield
Kneecap issue statement after Coachella backlash from Sharon Osbourne, Fox News & more

Kneecap have faced backlash for calling for a free Palestine during their recent Coachella sets, and they’ve issued a new statement on social media in response. It reads:

Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign.

For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes.

The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.

Let us be absolutely clear.

The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing.

Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.

We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we will not stay silent.

No media spin will change this.

Our only concern is the Palestinian people — the 20,000 murdered children and counting.

The young people at our gigs see through the lies.

They stand on the side of humanity and justice.

And that gives us great hope.

During their weekend one Coachella set, Kneecap led the crowd in a chant against Margaret Thatcher, and ended their set by saying “Free Palestine.” Afterwards, they shared NME‘s post about the anti-Thatcher part of their set reportedly being cut from the livestream, saying, “Not the only thing that was cut – our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either. Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted 🇵🇸 Grma to everyone who packed out the tent 🔥”

Kneecap played the Sonora, which wasn’t part of the weekend two Coachella livestream, but YouTuber Hasan Piker streamed the set on his Twitch. Messages were projected onto the stage, including “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people, It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes,” and “Fuck Israel, free Palestine.”

Among the backlash was a lengthy statement Sharon Osbourne, where she called for the band’s visas to be revoked:

Coachella 2025 will be remembered as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity. Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression. At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse. While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music’s primary purpose is to unite people. It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organizations or spreading hate. Green Day, a band I personally admire, chose to share their views on the Middle East during their Coachella performance. While I respect their right to express their opinions, such discussions would have been more appropriate at their own concert, not at a festival. Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements. Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations. This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA. Reports indicate that Goldenvoice was unaware of Kneecap’s political intentions when they were booked. However, after witnessing their performance during the first weekend, allowing them to perform again the following weekend suggests support of their rhetoric and a lack of due diligence. Scooter Braun, who has been involved in organizing the Nova Music Festival exhibit—a tribute to the victims of the October 7th attacks in Israel—has defended Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett as he attended the Nova Exhibit. If Tollett visited the Nova exhibit, he would have seen the portraits of every person that was killed that day and heard some of their voices on cell phone recordings, sent home to their loved ones. It is difficult to comprehend how if somebody saw this exhibit firsthand that they could book a band on their festival that is in support of what was done that day and supports the group responsible for this mass murder. Not one IDF solider was killed that day, just 1400 innocent civilians. Furthermore, the Independent Artists Group, which represents Kneecap, includes individuals of Jewish heritage. It is disheartening that they have not used their positions to prevent the promotion of such controversial messages. Shame on them. As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved. Goldenvoice’s claim of being “blindsided” by Kneecap’s performance seems implausible given the circumstances. I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.
I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.

Insiders also told The Hollywood Reporter that Coachella CEO Paul Tollett was “blinded” by Kneecap’s actions.

Rolling Stone asked Kneecap for a response to Osbourne’s message before they issued their own statement, and the band’s Mo Chara said, “Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, but she should listen to ‘War Pigs’ that was written by Black Sabbath (her husband).”

“There are over 10,000 Palestinians being held hostage in Israeli jails as we speak, many of them without charge or trial, including 400 children who are being held illegally under international law,” Chara continued to Rolling Stone. “As I said already, over 52,000 Palestinians have been murdered in the last 18 months, and over 2 million displaced in Gaza. Who is talking about the 30,000 innocent children who have been murdered in Gaza in the last 18 months?… Our message is about ending the genocide and ending the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine. We want people to take whatever action they can to stop the genocide. People can take what they want from our music, stopping the genocide is more important.”

Meanwhile, sources recently confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that since Coachella, Kneecap have parted ways with their booking agency, Independent Artist Group. A representative for IAG confirmed the move to THR but didn’t give any further details, and Kneecap’s management didn’t respond to a request for comment. Sources also told THR that the agency will no longer be sponsoring Kneecap’s US work visas, which may make them ineligible to play their upcoming US shows. They’re currently scheduled to return to North America for a fall tour starting in October.

Tags: Coachella, Fox news, Israel, Kneecap, Music, Palestine, Paul tollett, Sharon osbourne