Kneecapâs forthcoming performance in Hungary will not go ahead as the Irish band has been banned from the country for three years for posing âa national security threat.â
Hungarian politician and spokesperson ZoltĂĄn KovĂĄcs announced the ban on social media on Thursday, saying Kneecap are âofficially banned from entering Hungaryâfor antisemitism and glorifying terror.â
Kneecap were scheduled to perform at Budapestâs Sziget Festival on Aug. 11. KovĂĄcs said the band would not be allowed in the country because they ârepeatedly engage in antisemitic hate speech supporting terrorism and terrorist groups. Hungary has zero tolerance for antisemitism in any form.â
He added, âTheir planned performance posed a national security threat, and for this reason, the group has been formally banned from Hungary for three years. If they enter, expulsion will follow under international norms.â
Kneecap responded with their own statement apologizing to the âtens of thousands of fans who we were buzzing to see in person at Sziget.â
âThe authoritarian government of Viktor Orban say we âpose a national security threat,ââ the band wrote. âWhich is fucking outrageous coming from a man who welcomed Netanyahu, a wanted war criminal, like a hero just a few weeks ago. There is no legal basis for his actions, no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of any crime in any country. We stand against all hate crimes and Kneecap champions love and solidarity as well as calling out injustices where we see it.â
They added, âItâs clear this is political distraction and a further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people.â
In a statement, Sziget called the Hungarian governmentâs decision âunnecessary and regrettable.â
âFollowing concerns raised by government and pressure groups across Hungary over the past weeks at the prospect of Kneecap performing, we have liaised closely with the band and they reassured us that their performance would not contravene either Szigetâs values or Hungarian law,â the festival said. âSziget Festivalâs values mean we condemn hate speech, while guaranteeing the fundamental right to artistic freedom of expression for every performer. Cancel culture and cultural boycotts are not the solutionâŠ. We fear that governmentâs decision announced today to ban Kneecap may not only damage the reputation of Sziget, but also negatively affect Hungaryâs standing worldwide.â
Kneecap have been a constant subject of controversy over the past few months, both in the U.K. and around the world. At Coachella in April, the trio started one of their sets with a screen message that read, âIsrael is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,â followed by, âIt is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.â At Glastonbury last month, the band led the crowd in a chant of âFuck Keir Starmer.â
The band was subsequently investigated by police for their Glastonbury performance, which was not aired live. Last week, the BBC reported that the Avon and Somerset Police announced that in following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service it had decided not to take any further action against Kneecap due to âinsufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offense.â
Additionally, Kneecapâs Mo Chara, born Liam Ăg Ă hAnnaidh, faced a terror charge in the U.K. for allegedly displaying the Hezbollah flag and yelling, âUp, Hamas, up Hezbollah,â and, âThe only good Tory is a dead Tory,â at a November 2024 concert.
Ă hAnnaidh and Kneecap have repeatedly denied the allegations and claimed footage from the concert was âdeliberately taken out of all context.â Theyâve also suggested the charge was backlash towards their vocal support for Palestine, against the war in Gaza, and and against the U.K. and U.S. governments for funding and supplying it. Chara is currently out on bail ahead of an August 20 court date.Â
This article was updated with a statement from Sziget on July 25 at 7:45 a.m. ET
