Kneecap put Palestine at centre of one of the biggest gigs in their career

Few Kneecap fans are unaware of the band’s stance on the Gaza war, but the 12-foot Palestinian flag and lines of activists handing out pamphlets outside their London OVO Wembley Arena gig on Thursday night made a powerful statement of defiance and solidarity as the death toll in the besieged enclave continues to rise.

This was only Kneecap's second arena performance, underlining both the Irish band's rapid rise to fame and their steadfast support for the Palestinian cause. That support has seen rapper Mo Chara face what many describe as trumped-up terror charges, widely believed to be linked to his outspoken criticism of Israel.

If Kneecap are indeed targets of the establishment, they showed no signs of backing down. Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí used the stage to attack Keir Starmer, the British royal family, and Donald Trump - the latter coincidentally in London at the same time for a controversial state visit.

Irish and Palestinian nationalism were intertwined throughout the night, with hoodies on sale at the band’s merchandise stalls promoting freedom for both Palestine and the Irish "six counties".

The arena crowd was a sea of Palestinian keffiyehs, flags, and FC Palestina shirts who joined in chants and boos condemning Keir Starmer for recently hosting Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Before Kneecap performed, Massive Attack delivered a surprise audio-visual presentation recounting a history of cultural resistance to oppressive regimes, including their own role in boycott campaigns against Apartheid South Africa.

The presentation urging fans to boycott music platforms and products linked to Israel came just a day before more than 400 artists, bands, and record labels - including Kneecap and Massive Attack - announced they would block access to their music in Israel in response to the Gaza genocide.

"As part of 'No Music For Genocide', we have formally requested our record label, Heavenly Recordings, to remove all Kneecap tracks from DSP streaming services in Israel," the band said in a statement released hours after the gig. "Free Palestine. #NoMusicForGenocide."

The campaign is part of a wider boycott movement aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war on Gaza and occupation of Palestinian land, bringing together artists, dock workers, consumers, and others committed to avoiding complicity in Palestinian suffering.

"This initiative is borderless and open to all artists and labels who want to boycott. We hope it sparks further efforts against the music industry’s complicity," the collective said in a statement.

Pro-Palestine activists hope the campaign will make "Made in Israel" as toxic a brand as apartheid South Africa was before its dismantling in 1994. Then, it was musicians who helped lead the global boycott, and today artists are once again embedding Palestinian suffering in the collective consciousness.

When Massive Attack’s presentation ended, they took the stage with Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal. The only backdrop was the word "#BDS" projected on a blank screen.

Robert “3D” Del Naja reminded the crowd that during the 1980s it was artists who filled the moral void left by complicit politicians, leading boycotts of South Africa’s apartheid regime - and that the same is happening again today, as the UK Labour government tacitly supports Israel’s war on Gaza.

Among those at the forefront is Kneecap’s Mo Chara, who is due back in a UK court later in September on terror charges for allegedly holding a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last year, charges he says were taken out of context.

“Thank you to Kneecap for their unwavering support for the Palestinian people, despite the political weaponisation of the criminal justice system against them,” Del Naja told the audience.

Ben Jamal then urged fans to join the planned 11 October London protest against the genocide in Gaza and to support the BDS movement.

He closed with the words of Bobby Sands: "Our revenge will be the laughter of our children", before leading the 12,000-strong crowd in a chant of "free, free Palestine".

In the build-up to Kneecap’s set, the video screen displayed harrowing details of the Gaza war, where 2.3 million civilians remain trapped under siege, facing Israeli tanks, snipers, and warplanes.

"Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. Hundreds of thousands have been murdered by Israel in 23 months. They are now starving the people of Gaza," read one message on the screen.

"The British government is complicit in this genocide. They even deny it is occurring," followed by boos and chants of "f*** Keir Starmer".

"Starmer welcomed Isaac Herzog to this city like a king last week. Today Trump is here, the man who permits the slaughter. Free Palestine."

Kneecap then emerged to another roar of "free, free Palestine", demonstrating how deeply they are cherished by fans both for their commitment to the Palestinian cause and for standing firm against establishment attacks.

The band is now preparing for a tour of England and Scotland that will seek to build further support for Palestine and expand the cultural boycott campaign against Israel.