Irish band Kneecap calls out Coachella for ‘censoring’ pro-Palestine messaging during livestream
Irish rap group Kneecap has criticised Coachella’s official live stream for censoring their pro-Palestinian and anti-establishment messaging during their performance at the festival’s opening on Friday.
Known for their politically-charged music, the Belfast-based trio — comprising rappers Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap as well as masked DJ Próvaí — delivered a set that stood out amid the usually apolitical landscape of the California festival.
But while festival-goers got the full experience, audiences tuning in from home appear to have missed key moments. According to SFGATE, the live stream omitted several of the band’s political statements, including one about Palestine.
One such moment included a jab at the controversial former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), the group can be heard proclaiming, “If anybody was wondering, Margaret Thatcher’s still dead,” followed by chants of “Maggie’s in a box.” That moment, however, didn’t appear on the official Coachella broadcast.
Kneecap later addressed the incident online. “Not the only thing that was cut — our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either,” the group wrote on X the next day, accompanied by a Palestinian flag emoji. “Back next Friday, Coachella, and it’ll be sorted.”

Though according to the outlet, some pro-Palestinian sentiments did make it through — including one of the MCs shouting “F*** it, free Palestine” after a track, which drew loud cheers and was included in the stream.
A moment also captured on the stream showed an audience member waving a Palestinian flag.
The band, however, suggests a clear decision was made to censor more explicit political statements.
Kneecap wasn’t the only act to speak up for Palestine at Coachella. Veteran punk rockers Green Day used their headline slot on Saturday to make a lyrical alteration during their performance of ‘Jesus of Suburbia’.
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong sang, “Runnin’ away from pain, like the kids from Palestine / Tales from another broken home,” replacing the original 2004 lyric, “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimised.”
The band also called out Trump supporters in their song ‘American Idiot’, changing a lyric to “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda” during their set.
Last month, Armstrong made a similar tweak while performing in Australia, changing another line from the same track to, “Am I retarded, or am I just JD Vance?” — a jab at the vice president of the US.
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