Berlin, August 14th 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – A concert by the Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap, scheduled for the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen on August 20th, has triggered sharp criticism from local activists and social media users who accuse the band of expressing support for terrorist organizations.
The backlash follows a November 2024 performance in which one band member wore a flag of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on stage and shouted into the microphone, “Free Palestine! Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!” Both terror groups want to annihilate Israel and murder Jews around the world.
According to a report by the “WAZ” daily, the Oberhausen coalition “Es reicht! – Oberhausen solidarisch gegen Rechts” (“Enough Is Enough! – Oberhausen United Against the Right”) has publicly demanded the show be called off, arguing that the band has repeatedly voiced support for Hamas and Hezbollah at its concerts and that “antisemitism and fascist terror propaganda must not be given a stage in Oberhausen”.
Promoter Rejects Demand
Kingstar Music, the Hamburg-based agency promoting the concert, has rejected calls to cancel. Managing director Timo Birth described Kneecap as “an internationally successful band that is currently the subject of a great deal of discussion”, adding there was clear demand for their concert in Germany as well. Birth stressed that Kingstar “clearly rejects antisemitism as well as the support or glorification of terrorist organizations,” and said the company was taking the accusations seriously.
Despite the criticism, he said, there are currently no plans to cancel the show, noting that booking a band does not mean an organizer endorses every political statement its members make — a principle he said applies to Kneecap as it does to other acts Kingstar works with.
The Turbinenhalle itself, which is only leasing the venue for the event, has likewise defended its decision to host the band. Spokesman Björn Josefiak said the venue is careful about which acts it brings in and weighs potential consequences, such as protests or altercations, in advance. In Kneecap’s case, he said, there was no valid argument against the performance going ahead. Asked whether the Belfast trio is viewed critically, Josefiak acknowledged that it is, but said the real question is how one deals with that — and confirmed that canceling the show has not been discussed.
Mo Chara Charged
Adding to the controversy, the band only announced the Oberhausen date roughly a week in advance via social media, and neither the promoter nor the venue advertised the show through their usual channels beforehand — a decision Josefiak said reflects standard practice, since such promotion is typically only carried out when an organizer requests and pays for it, which was not the case here. Critics see the low-key rollout as an attempt to sell tickets while minimizing public attention.
Even some fans reacted with disappointment at the short notice, with some noting they had already bought tickets for a Brussels show after assuming Kneecap would not perform in Germany at all.
The November 2024 incident also had legal consequences in the UK, where authorities considered the on-stage remarks a possible breach of the Terrorism Act. Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, was charged in May 2025. He has said he did not recognize the Hezbollah flag, and band members have maintained they have never supported either Hezbollah or Hamas. The case against him was later dropped over a procedural error, meaning there was no conviction.
A number of the band’s shows were canceled after the accusations became public, also because Kneecap had displayed slogans such as “Fuck Israel” on stage. There are 197 countries in the world, 46 of which are governed by authoritarian regimes, 60 are flawed democracies, and there are 36 hybrid regimes running just as many countries, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. The one country Kneecap obviously hate is a democracy. And it is the only Jewish state.
