Kneecap light up Glastonbury 2025 with chaos and cause

Coming on stage to a montage of news clips demanding their cancellation, it's as triumphant as Jay-Z's 2008 entrance.

Kneecap have had a bumpy ride of late, with the rap group's vocal support for Palestine resulting in member Mo Chara being charged with terrorism offences and becoming the latest punching bag of far-right grifters who have nothing better to do. Oh, and Keir Starmer said it was "inappropriate" that they were playing, because he's a wet wipe.

Unsurprisingly, they've pulled an absolutely massive crowd for their set, with the West Holts stage at capacity long before they come on stage. Glastonbury's left-wing and activist credentials are reflected not just in the passionate fandom for the group but also in the massive number of Palestinian flags dotted throughout the crowd.

The group don't seem too bothered about the negatives that come with their increased profile. Coming on stage to a montage of news clips demanding their cancellation, it's as triumphant as Jay-Z's 2008 entrance. Opener' Better Way To Live' sees so many flares set off that it's impossible to see the stage, and the energy doesn't dip from then on.

"Has anybody been watching the news?" They say with a grin, before leading a chant of 'free Mo Chara' and 'fuck Keir Starmer'. A new song follows that has an instrumental which sounds like two robots punching each other in the face, in case anyone had lost sight of how much fun Kneecap are in among all the controversy.

It's a tight set which showcases the sheer energy and tongue-in-cheek humour which first catapulted the group to fame - remember, the latest controversy came after they released a BAFTA-winning film, not before. The real tension lies between the crowd of new converts who hail them as political heroes and their actual lyrics, which are largely comedic jabs at politicians and tales of doing drugs (or, in the case of 'Guilty Conscience', masturbating as an alternative to confessing at church).

It's a great set, and Kneecap continue to balance righteous anger, support for the oppressed, and an impulse to glorious chaos wherever they go - new song 'The Recap' is as notable for its Kemi Badenoch-baiting lyrics as it is for its absolutely brutal bassline. We just hope they don't get forced into a protest-singer-shaped hole for the rest of their career because if they stop writing songs like 'Rhino Ket', we'll be devastated

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