Kneecap head to France’s Rock en Seine festival amid increased scrutiny

Kneecap’s inclusion connected nan line-up for Paris’ Rock en Seine has already proven to beryllium controversial.

The four-day event, which runs from 20-24 August astatine Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, is topped this twelvemonth by nan likes of Fontaines D.C., Chappell Roan, Queens of nan Stone Age and controversial Irish rappers Kneecap – who will return to nan shape connected Sunday. 

While festivals for illustration Germany’s Hurricane and Southside festivals and Hungary’s Sziget show person dropped nan trio, Rock en Seine organisers made nan determination to guidelines by nan set and kept them connected nan measure – a determination which proved costly, arsenic it led to nan show having its backing substantially cut. 

Now, pinch nan upcoming gig connected Sunday, it’s each eyes connected whether nan capacity will “constitute a disturbance of nationalist order,” to usage nan words of French Minister of nan Interior Bruno Retailleau. “Any unrest will beryllium instantly prosecuted,” he added. 

Macronist MP Caroline Yadan contacted Retailleau earlier this period to request that Kneecap's performance beryllium banned.  

“Culture and euphony cannot beryllium utilized to beforehand Islamist terrorism, support Hezbollah and Hamas, aliases incite execution and hatred of Jews,” insisted Yadan - referring to nan ongoing UK counter-terrorism trial, which was adjourned this week and saw set personnel Mo Chara released unconditionally for a 2nd time.

Yadan added that nan presence of nan set could “promote nan dispersed of dislike speech, glorify terrorism, and moreover promote anti-Semitic acts.”

In consequence to Yadan's request, Retailleau assured her successful a missive that he “strongly condemns nan comments that whitethorn person been made by this group,” adding that was paying “close attention” to nan band’s performances – referring to Kneecap’s quality past Sunday at nan Cabaret Vert show successful Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes).

“Any excesses will beryllium instantly prosecuted and, successful conjunction pinch nan Prefect of Paris, who is intimately monitoring nan situation, immoderate constituent apt to represent a disturbance of nationalist bid that is identified will consequence successful their performance astatine nan Rock en Seine show being banned,” said Retailleau.

No disturbance was reported past weekend, truthful nan Rock en Seine slot remains.

Businessman Matthieu Pigasse, proprietor of the Rock en Seine festival, doubled down by responding to Yadan, saying: “To declare that supporting nan Palestinian origin is simply a threat to nationalist bid is deplorable.”

The set has denied accusations of anti-Semitism, claiming that those attacking nan set “weaponize” nan mendacious accusation to “distract, confuse, and supply screen for genocide.” 

Undeterred by accusations and definite festivals dropping them, Kneecap has continued to many times usage their level to speak retired not against nan Jewish group but against Israel's warfare successful Gaza. 

They did truthful at Coachella – wherever they denounced nan US government’s backing of “war criminal Israel”; astatine Best Kept Secret - wherever nan pre-show screening denounces nan “Israeli genocide and nan Western media's cover-up"; at Glastonbury – wherever their controversial group alongside Bob Vylan launched a constabulary investigation; during their group astatine Øyafestivalen successful Oslo; and moreover successful Hungary, wherever they sent their fans a video connection contempt being banned from nan country by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.  

Many artists person supported Kneecap, including Brian Eno, Fontaines D.C. and Pulp. They signed an unfastened letter criticizing a “clear, concerted effort to censor and yet deplatform” Kneecap and opposing “political repression of creator freedom.”   

The missive reads: "As artists, we consciousness nan request to registry our guidance to immoderate governmental repression of creator freedom.”   

"In a democracy, nary governmental figures aliases governmental parties should person nan correct to dictate who does and does not play astatine euphony festivals aliases gigs that will beryllium enjoyed by thousands of people." 

Rock en Seine takes spot astatine Domaine National de Saint-Cloud from 20–24 August 2025.