Kneecap to play OVO Hydro in Glasgow amid 'biggest run of shows ever' following TRNSMT axe

Kneecap are returning to Glasgow later this year for their “biggest run of shows ever” after being axed from music festival TRNSMT.

The group were dropped from the line-up for the Glasgow Green event amid an investigation by counter-terror police into rapper Mo Chara.

He is accused of terrorism offences related to a Hezbollah flag he allegedly held up on stage.

The group played Glasgow’s O2 Academy earlier this month after tickets sold out in just over a minute.

Now the trio have announced a UK tour for November, with the band to play Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on Sunday, November 30.

The group say its their “biggest run of shows ever” with gigs to be played in London, Newcastle and Manchester among other venues.

Pre-sale tickets are available from Wednesday, with general sale beginning on Friday at 10am.

At the show last week Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam O hAnnaidh, hit out at Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney.

He asked the crowd: “What’s your First Minister’s name?”

He then added: “They stopped us playing TRNSMT but they can’t stop us playing Glasgow.”

Glasgow & West

Kneecap hit out at First Minister John Swinney at Glasgow gig

The trio were axed from the line-up of the TRNSMT music festival amid an investigation by counter-terror police.

Police Scotland confirmed three arrests were made at the show on Tuesday, July 8.

Swinney said the band’s comments were “unacceptable” after a video at a 2023 gig appeared to show one member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

The SNP leader called for them to be axed from TRNSMT in May, and their cancellation came after safety concerns were raised by Police Scotland.

Last week, Swinney said: “The last thing I want to be doing is commenting about music choices and the activities of music bands.

“When comments get made that are beyond the pale, then it shouldn’t be a surprise to people that I get asked about them.

“Of course the comments that were made by Kneecap which I responded to, they apologised for.

“I welcome the fact that the band are performing, they’ve got to make their contribution to the music scene.

“I think the most important issue is the controversy has been around the crisis in the Middle East, the suffering of the people in Gaza.

“I want to make sure there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, there’s humanitarian assistance, and that we have are no way distracted from the humanitarian catastrophe that is going on in Gaza at this moment.”

The Belfast group, who perform in Irish, have been an outspoken critic of the war in Gaza and said the prosecution, following an investigation by the Met Police, is linked to their views on Palestine.

Kneecap performed at the 2000 Trees rock festival on July 10, and are due to play Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on August 15 and Belfast Vital on August 29 – nine days after O hAnnaidh’s next court appearance.