Kneecap issue response after Canadian shows cancelled

Last month, Irish rap trio Kneecap cancelled the US shows on their fall tour, citing the proximity of the dates to their next court hearing related to a terrorism charge against Mo Chara later this month. Their Canadian shows in October were to go on as planned, but now they’ve been cancelled too. MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Combating Crime Vince Gasparro said that Kneecap have been deemed “ineligible to enter” Canada, accusing them in a video of having “amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.” “Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or Anti-Semitism and hate more broadly,” he wrote on social media.

On behalf of the Government of Canada I am announcing that on the advice of our officials, we have deemed the group Kneecap ineligible to enter our country.

Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or Anti-Semitism and hate more broadly. pic.twitter.com/3KOf84G3bZ

— Vince Gasparro (@vgasparro) September

Kneecap shared a response to Gasparro, writing:

Your comments about us are wholly untrue and deeply malicious.

We will not accept it.

No member of Kneecap has been convicted of ANY crime in ANY country EVER.

Whilst you outrageously try to claim we are antisemitic ‘the Times’ newspaper in England today wrote of our headline show in London last night as ’emphatically anti-sectarian’.

We have today instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action against you.

We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel.

When we beat you in court, which we will, we will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza.

They also posted a message to Canadian fans, which reads:

Recently many efforts have been made by your government to remove our ability to travel to Canada despite having valid ‘eTA’s.

We are aware of significant Zionist lobby groups (Allied voices for Israel, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs & Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem) attempting to influence your government and its representatives through serious misinformation which we are acting against legally.

Yesterday we responded with all information requested of us to the immigration/eTA authorities.

It is our view that when they realised there was no legal basis on which to stop us that they today, via Vince Gasparro, sought to maliciously misrepresent Kneecap.

We have played in Canada many times with zero issues and a message of solidarity and love.

We are sorry we cannot be with you next month but we will not be silenced and will always oppose genocide.

Use your voices in Canada – stand up and speak out.

A message to Vince Gasparro and our many fans across Canada. https://t.co/66avCapPgn pic.twitter.com/ySsrgpMs6J

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September

Kneecap are one of over 400 artists and labels taking part of the “No Music for Genocide” campaign and having their music removed from streaming platforms in Israel. They’re also livestreaming a show in October.

KNEECAP: 2025 TOUR DATES
Oct 10 – US LIVE STREAM – Online & Kings Theatre Broadcast, Brooklyn, NY
Nov 10 – Elysee Montmartre, Paris, FR
Nov 11 – Elysee Montmartre, Paris, FR
Nov 12 – AFAS Live, Amsterdam, NL
Nov 14 – O2 Academy, Bournemouth, ENG
Nov 15 – Blackstone Street Warehouse, Liverpool, ENG
Nov 17 – DEPOT, Cardiff, WAL
Nov 18 – The Prospect Building, Bristol, ENG
Nov 20 – O2 Academy, Leeds, ENG
Nov 21 – O2 Academy, Leeds, ENG
Nov 22 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle, ENG
Nov 24 – Octagon, Sheffield, ENG
Nov 25 – Octagon, Sheffield, ENG
Nov 27 – O2 Academy, Birmingham, ENG
Nov 28 – Academy, Manchester, ENG
Nov 29 – Academy, Manchester, ENG
Nov 30 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow, SCO
Dec 16 – 3Arena, Dublin, IRE
Dec 17 – 3Arena, Dublin, IRE

KNEECAP: CANCELLED 2025 TOUR DATES
Wed 01 Oct 2025 The Rooftop at Pier 17 New York, NY
Fri 03 Oct 2025 Mercury Ballroom Louisville, KY
Sat 04 Oct 2025 Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, TN
Tue 07 Oct 2025 The Howard Theatre Washington, DC
Wed 08 Oct 2025 The Filmore Philadelphia, PA
Fri 10 Oct 2025 The Rooftop at Pier 17 New York, NY
Sat 11 Oct 2025 MGM Music Hall at Fenway Boston, MA
Tue 14 Oct 2025 History Toronto, ONT
Wed 15 Oct 2025 History Toronto, ONT
Thu 16 Oct 2025 Saint Andrew’s Hall Detroit, MI
Fri 17 Oct 2025 Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH
Sat 18 Oct 2025 Radius Chicago, IL
Mon 20 Oct 2025 The Fillmore Minneapolis, MN
Wed 22 Oct 2025 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, BC
Thu 23 Oct 2025 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, BC
Fri 24 Oct 2025 The Showbox Seattle, WA
Sat 25 Oct 2025 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
Mon 27 Oct 2025 The Independent San Francisco, CA
Tue 28 Oct 2025 Fox Theatre Oakland, CA