Kneecap’s inclusion on the line-up for Paris’ Rock En Seine has led to the festival having its funding substantially cut.
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The four-day event will run from August 20 to 24 at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, with the bill being topped by Chappell Roan, A$AP Rocky, Fontaines D.C. and Queens Of The Stone Age.
Also set to play at the festival are Irish rap trio Kneecap, despite the slew of controversies that have followed the band this year. Organisers made the decision to stand by Kneecap and keep them on the bill – and the decision has proved costly.
The mayor of the city of Saint-Cloud, Éric Berdoati, and the local council voted to withdraw the €40,000 (£34,500) government subsidy from the festival, with Berdoati saying: “We subsidise cultural initiatives, not political ones. When it’s no longer in line with our objectives, we don’t fund it.”
Rock En Seine director Mathieu Ducos responded: “When we programmed them last autumn, they weren’t the talk of the town, except for good reasons. I hope that the history we’ve managed to build and weave together doesn’t end with this dispute and the vision we have of this group.”
Subsidies account for 3 per cent of Rock En Seine’s annual funding, with their overall budget for their 2025 edition clocking in at €17million (£14.7million).
The news comes after Kneecap were dropped from the TRNSMT festival line-up in May over “safety concerns” expressed by the police. The band responded by booking a replacement show for the same week in Glasgow, where they hit out at Scottish First Minister John Swinney. They were also dropped from two festivals in Germany and from Cornwall’s Eden Project.
There is now speculation that Kneecap may be dropped from the line-up for a major Fontaines D.C. show in Wythenshaw Park, Manchester next month. Talks are reportedly in progress between the city’s council and promoters about “safety concerns” connected to the group.
The controversy surrounding Kneecap follows an investigation by police into their on-stage comments and actions back in 2024, when Mo Chara allegedly displayed a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah.
While the band have denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and stated that they would not incite or condone violence against any individuals, Chara was forced to appear in court after being charged by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence. The rapper appeared in court just days before their Glastonbury 2025 performance and was released with unconditional bail.
The band have also defended their “satirical” past concerts, arguing that it is not their job to “tell people what’s a joke and what’s not”, and recently shared the boisterous video for ‘The Recap’ – their new song which criticises Kemi Badenoch – the current leader of the Conservative Party.
Most recently, the band have revealed that a poster for their upcoming show at Wembley Arena on September 18 has been banned from the London Underground, as it was deemed to be “likely to cause widespread or serious offence”.
“How petty can political policing and interference get…” the band wrote. “Speak out against genocide and they’ll use every single angle they can to silence you. Join the IOF [sic], murder kids, fly to London and nothing happens – you’ll be welcomed and applauded.”
They concluded: “See it. Say it. Censored.”
