The Belfast trio have made headlines for their performances during both weekends of the festival.
Sharon Osbourne has criticised Kneecap’s Coachella performance and has called for their US work visa to be revoked.
The rap group ended their set last Friday with a projection that read: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F*** Israel Free Palestine.”
It comes after they projected similar messages during their performance on Coachella’s first weekend, as well as leading the crowd in anti-Margaret Thatcher chanting.
They were not the only performers to reference the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, nor the only ones critical of the US government, as Green Day changed the lyrics of two of their songs in relation to both topics.
Former X Factor judge Osbourne heavily criticised both performances saying that, “music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.”
In a lengthy post to X on Tuesday, she wrote: “Coachella 2025 will be remembered as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity. Goldenvoice, the festival organiser, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression.
“At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.
“While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music’s primary purpose is to unite people. It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organizations or spreading hate.
“Green Day, a band I personally admire, chose to share their views on the Middle East during their Coachella performance. While I respect their right to express their opinions, such discussions would have been more appropriate at their own concert, not at a festival.
“Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements. Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations.
“This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA.”
Goldenvoice claimed to have been “blindsided” by the group’s political message during their set, however, Osbourne was still critical of the organiser, claiming, “after witnessing their performance during the first weekend, allowing them to perform again the following weekend suggests support of their rhetoric and a lack of due diligence.”
She concluded her social media rant, saying: “As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mother’s side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Father’s side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved.
“Goldenvoice’s claim of being “blindsided” by Kneecap’s performance seems implausible given the circumstances. I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.
“I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”
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