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Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has addressed the backlash it faced during its Coachella sets, where the group strongly advocated for Palestine and condemned Israel amid the ongoing conflict. In an email to Rolling Stone, the group reiterated its stance on its political messages at the Sonora Stage in Coachella, stating that it has advocated for Palestine “at every single gig since the band’s formation."
For those unfamiliar, the hip-hop trio's stage during the second weekend (April 18) displayed messages such as, "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people," "It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes," and, "F**k Israel. Free Palestine."
Many concertgoers and netizens criticized the Irish trio's Coachella performance, accusing it of being overly politicized. Sharon Osbourne was among the more vocal opponents of the group's political message, urging the US government to revoke Kneecap's work visa in light of their performance.
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On April 22, 2025, Sharon Osbourne (the wife of Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne) took to X to write a lengthy message following Kneecap's performance, concluding her message with:
"I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.
Elsewhere in her post, she criticized Coachella, its organizers, and Kneecap for using the stage as "a platform for political expression." Osbourne, who has Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on her father's side, condemned the music festival and the band for "promoting terrorist organizations" and "spreading hate."
Osbourne added that Kneecap incorporated "aggressive political statements" into their performance and allegedly spread "anti-Israel messages and hate speech."
"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," she wrote.
"Reports indicate that Goldenvoice was unaware of Kneecap's political intentions when they were booked. However, 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 should listen to ‘War Pigs’" — Kneecap's response to Sharon Osbourne includes a mention of the Black Sabbath song
In his email to Rolling Stone, published on April 23, Kneecap member Mo Chara responded to Sharon Osbourne's social media post condemning the group's Coachella performance. Chara stated that Osbourne's "rants" had "so many holes," adding that she "should listen" to Black Sabbath's War Pigs. For context, the track was released in 1970 as a protest song against wars.
“Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, but she should listen to ‘War Pigs’ that was written by Black Sabbath (her husband),” Chara wrote.
Elsewhere in the email, Chara revealed that the group was unaware its Coachella set had been cut short on the livestream, which ran all weekend. However, the group member mentioned he was not surprised, stating,
"Companies don’t like to hear the truth unless it suits their narrative and pocket."
During the second weekend, the group organized their own livestream, which streamer Hasan Piker also broadcast. In the email, Chara further explained why the group felt it was important to address the ongoing conflict during their performance, writing:
“We believe we have an obligation to use our platform when we can to raise the issue of Palestine, and it was important for us to speak out at Coachella as the USA is the main funder and supplier of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza. As I said from the stage, ‘The U.S. government could stop the genocide tomorrow.’ It’s important that young Americans hear and know it.”
During Kneecap's set in the second week, the crowd chanted, "Free Palestine," which Chara described as a "message of solidarity" from Americans to the people of Gaza. Chara also addressed claims that the group's set was anti-Israel, claiming that the political message focused on "their [Israel's] government’s sickening actions, not ordinary people.”
"Our message is about ending the genocide" — Kneecap's response to its Coachella backlash
In the email, Mo Chara spoke about the Palestinians held hostage in Israel, adding that the group's message was about "ending the genocide and ending the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine.”
“There are over 10,000 Palestinians being held hostage in Israeli jails as we speak, many of them without charge or trial, including 400 children who are being held illegally under international law. As I said already, over 52,000 Palestinians have been murdered in the last 18 months, and over 2 million displaced in Gaza," the email read.
"Who is talking about the 30,000 innocent children who have been murdered in Gaza in the last 18 months?… Our message is about ending the genocide and ending the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine.”
According to Rolling Stone, the organizers of the Nova Music Festival, the venue where Hamas launched their attack in October 2023, have also spoken about Kneecap's Coachella performance.
The festival also welcomed Kneecap to the Nova Exhibition to “experience firsthand the stories of those who were murdered, those who survived, and those who are still being held hostage.”
Chara did not address the invitation in his email to Rolling Stone.
Kneecap is not the only musical act addressing the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. The rock band Green Day, famously known for its political messages in its music, altered a line from its hit song Jesus of Suburbia to comment on this issue.
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong changed the lyrics from “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimized" to "Runnin’ away from pain like the kids from Palestine."
