Kneecap head to France’s Rock en Seine festival amid increased scrutiny

Kneecap’s inclusion on the line-up for Paris’ Rock en Seine has already proven to be controversial.

The four-day event, which runs from 20-24 August at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, is topped this year by the likes of Fontaines D.C., Chappell Roan, Queens of the Stone Age and controversial Irish rappers Kneecap – who will take to the stage on Sunday. 

While festivals like Germany’s Hurricane and Southside festivals and Hungary’s Sziget festival have dropped the trio, Rock en Seine organisers made the decision to stand by the band and kept them on the bill – a decision which proved costly, as it led to the festival having its funding substantially cut. 

Now, with the upcoming gig on Sunday, it’s all eyes on whether the performance will “constitute a disturbance of public order,” to use the words of French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau. “Any unrest will be immediately prosecuted,” he added. 

Macronist MP Caroline Yadan contacted Retailleau earlier this month to demand that Kneecap's concert be banned.  

“Culture and music cannot be used to promote Islamist terrorism, support Hezbollah and Hamas, or incite murder and hatred of Jews,” insisted Yadan - referring to the ongoing UK counter-terrorism trial, which was adjourned this week and saw band member Mo Chara released unconditionally for a second time.

Yadan added that the arrival of the band could “promote the spread of hate speech, glorify terrorism, and even encourage anti-Semitic acts.”

In response to Yadan's request, Retailleau assured her in a letter that he “strongly condemns the comments that may have been made by this group,” adding that was paying “close attention” to the band’s performances – referring to Kneecap’s appearance last Sunday at the Cabaret Vert festival in Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes).

“Any excesses will be immediately prosecuted and, in conjunction with the Prefect of Paris, who is closely monitoring the situation, any element likely to constitute a disturbance of public order that is identified will result in their concert at the Rock en Seine festival being banned,” said Retailleau.

No disturbance was reported last weekend, so the Rock en Seine slot remains.

Businessman Matthieu Pigasse, owner of the Rock en Seine festival, doubled down by responding to Yadan, saying: “To claim that supporting the Palestinian cause is a threat to public order is deplorable.”

The band has denied accusations of anti-Semitism, claiming that those attacking the band “weaponize” the false accusation to “distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.” 

Undeterred by accusations and certain festivals dropping them, Kneecap has continued to repeatedly use their platform to speak out not against the Jewish people but against Israel's war in Gaza. 

They did so at Coachella – where they denounced the US government’s funding of “war criminal Israel”; at Best Kept Secret - where the pre-show screening denounces the “Israeli genocide and the Western media's cover-up"; at Glastonbury – where their controversial set alongside Bob Vylan launched a police investigation; during their set at Øyafestivalen in Oslo; and even in Hungary, where they sent their fans a video message despite being banned from the country by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.  

Many artists have supported Kneecap, including Brian Eno, Fontaines D.C. and Pulp. They signed an open letter criticizing a “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap and opposing “political repression of artistic freedom.”   

The letter reads: "As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom.”   

"In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people." 

Rock en Seine takes place at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud from 20–24 August 2025.