Kneecap: French politician removes funding for festival

Saint-Cloud council withdraws Rock en Seine subsidy in protest at Irish rap trio's appearance

Rock en Seine, a major French music festival near Paris, faces a €40,000 funding cut after refusing to drop Irish rap trio Kneecap from its 2024 line-up. The festival, which draws over 150,000 attendees each year, will take place from August 20th to 24th, featuring headliners such as Chappell Roan, Doechii, Queens of the Stone Age, and Fontaines DC.

Questions were asked around Kneecap’s inclusion after member Mo Chara was charged following footage of him shouting "Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!" in 2024. Mo Chara (Gaelic for “my friend”) is on unconditional bail and is due to attend a hearing at London’s Magistrate Court on the first day of the festival. The Metropolitan Police confirmed there would be no charges related to his alleged “Kill your MP” remark from a 2023 performance.

Culture vs politics

Despite condemnation from figures such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Rock en Seine organisers have stood by their decision to keep Kneecap on the bill. The Saint-Cloud town council, led by Mayor Éric Berdoati, responded by withdrawing its subsidy, stating: “We subsidise cultural initiatives, not political ones.”

The move is clearly political, as Rock en Seine is and always has been a music festival, and Kneecap – for all their provocation – are a rap trio.

However, the festival is expected to weather the loss—its 2024 budget stands at around €17 million, with only 3 per cent coming from public subsidies. Organisers remain confident the event will proceed as planned, maintaining a diverse line-up amid ongoing debate about the intersection of politics and culture on the festival stage.

(Michael Leahy. Source: Far Out. Photo: Raph_PH)