Kneecap are reportedly in the process of securing a new sponsor for renewed US visas ahead of their upcoming October US tour.
The visas held by the band are thought to be no longer valid, after they were reportedly dropped by their former sponsor and booking agent Independent Artist Group (IAG) earlier this week, per The Hollywood Reporter.
It comes following wider controversy surrounding their performance at Coachella 2025, which has generated mainstream attention over the past week.
The trio made headlines on Coachella’s weekend one, after the live stream of their set was cut when they voiced their support for a free Palestine, and also led the crowd in a provocative anti-Margaret Thatcher chant. “Not only was that cut,” they later said, referring to the Thatcher refrain, “our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either.”
At the second weekend, the band provided their own livestream, with political commentator Hasan Piker broadcasting their set live on Twitch. Slogans including “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine”, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” and “it is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes” were projected on the screen behind them as they played.
Following the performance, Coachella organisers reportedly said they were “blindsided” by the band’s pro-Palestinian messages and chants at the festival. Shortly after that, Sharon Osbourne called for a “revocation” of their work visa, claiming their performance “compromised” the festival’s “moral and spiritual integrity”. The band responded in disbelief, calling Osbourne’s statement “fucking wild”.
The trio’s US performances are reportedly permitted under work visas granted to its members under sponsorship of approved organisations, such as IAG or other booking agents and industry companies.
Per PA, Kneecap’s visas, which are now no longer valid due to IAG ceasing to work with them, were due to expire over the summer months between Coachella and the band’s next US appearances.
As the members of Kneecap are reportedly not currently in the US, and do not have gigs scheduled there until the tour in October, the group would have to re-apply for an annual permit.
They are entitled to apply for a new visa and are reportedly aiming to do so under a different sponsor ahead of their upcoming tour in the US and Canada, which is in support of their acclaimed 2024 debut studio album, ‘Fine Art’.
Currently, none of the tour dates have been impacted or cancelled, with all performances still scheduled. You can find a full list of tour dates here and any remaining tickets here.
It does remain possible that the group’s application for new visas may be rejected by US authorities ahead of the shows.
On Friday (April 25), the band issued a statement addressing their performance and the subsequent backlash, calling the controversy “a coordinated smear campaign” against their efforts in “exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.
“For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes,” they continued. “The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods,” they said, adding that they are “taking action against several of these malicious efforts”.
Earlier this week, the group shared messages of support sent by fans following the festival. Among them is one from a retired British Royal Navy officer, which reads: “I love your music. Free Palestine. Fuck the haters”, while another says: “As a Palestinian in exile I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving us a voice on the world stage.”
Kneecap’s long-standing support of Palestine has included recent social media posts and high-profile TV appearances. In their Cover feature for NME last year, they made their stance against what they call Israel’s “occupation and genocide” of Gaza clear, and went on to help raise nearly £100,000 for a volunteer gym in the Aida Refugee Camp in Palestine.
More recently, they hit out at Israel for breaking the Gaza ceasefire in a “slaughter” against the “most vulnerable people on earth”. It followed the ‘Better Way To Live’ artists slamming the Prime Minister of Ireland, calling Micheál Martin a “lick-arse” and “scumbag” after his recent visit to the White House to meet US President Donald Trump.
Back in January, when their film was left out of the Oscar nominations in January despite having been longlisted, the band responded by tweeting: “Fuck the Oscars. Free Palestine.”
Their response was in line with their reaction to the news of a ceasefire in Gaza on January 16, where they posted “we must not forget what Israel has done”.
They also posted recently in response to articles written about their “aggressive” Coachella set saying “honesty isn’t aggressive, fucking bombs are.”
Last year, the band shared their ’10 rules to live by’, which included: “Be outspoken, leave your mark and stand up for your people. Stand up for Palestine, and stand up for oppressed people around the world.”
In keeping with this rule, in November, Bap raised over £30,000 for Gaza food parcels by running 10k a day on tour, the trio made headlines for refusing to take off their Palestine badges in an appearance on Ireland’s Late Late Show, and arranged a Gig for Gaza charity show alongside Primal Scream and Paul Weller.
