Wide Awake confirm Kneecap will still headline London festival
Despite Kneecap having a series of shows cancelled due to an ongoing police investigation into the band, Wide Awake have confirmed they will still headline the event on May 23rd in London.
In light of the investigation, Kneecap has been removed from German festivals, and a show at the Eden Project in Cornwall was cancelled. They also had their German headline tour cancelled, which was only announced after they were taken off the bill at Southside Festival and Hurricane Festival.
Similarly, following their Eden Project show being cancelled, Kneecap announced a replacement concert on the same night at Plymouth Pavilions, which will no longer go ahead due to safety concerns, according to organisers. Instead, they will now perform three headline shows at The Depo in Plymouth.
As it stands, Kneecap have not been removed from any UK festival bills despite politicians pressuring Glastonbury to take them off the bill at the festival. In addition to Wide Awake, they are also set to appear at TRNSMT and headline 2000 Trees.
In a statement, Wide Awake said of Kneecap’s involvement: “After positive discussions with key stakeholders, Wide Awake Festival can confirm that, as planned, Kneecap will be performing at this year’s festival on Friday, 23rd May at Brockwell Park.”
The London festival continued: “Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene, and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent.”
In their own post on X, Kneecap said, “This one is gonna be very special”. It will be their first show since the controversy began.
- Kneecap controversy: The full story explained amid police investigation
- Metropolitan Police say there is “grounds for further investigation” into Kneecap
Kneecap will be joined at Wide Awake by CMAT, English Teacher, Fat Dog, Mannequin Pussy, Nadine Shah, Warmduscher, Sprints, Daniel Avery, Bdrmm, Peaches and many more.
Regarding the police investigation, the Metropolitan Police confirmed on May 1st: “On April 22, we were made aware of an online video believed to be from a music event in London in November 2024. Following this, we were made aware of a further video, believed to be from another music event in London in November 2023. Both videos were referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offenses linked to both videos.”
The statement continued: “The investigation is now being carried out by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and inquiries remain ongoing at this time.”
No member of Kneecap has been charged by authorities and the investigation remains ongoing.
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