Hungary has banned Irish rap group Kneecap from entering the country to perform at the Sziget Festival, accusing the band of using antisemitic hate speech and praising the Hamas terrorist group, a government spokesperson said on Thursday.
Belfast-based Kneecap, who regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their gigs, have caused controversy elsewhere in recent months, including at Britain's Glastonbury Festival in June where their frontman - known by the stage name Mo Chara - accused Israel of committing war crimes.
"Hungary's government has moved to ban Kneecap from entering the country and performing at Sziget ... citing antisemitic hate speech and open praise for Hamas and Hezbollah as justification," government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs wrote in a post on X.
Threatening national security
Kovacs later posted the official letters from immigration authorities banning the band for three years, claiming that their entry would "seriously threaten national security."
In May, Mo Chara was charged with a terrorism offense in Britain for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Hezbollah. He denies the offense.
Representatives of Kneecap did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The band has said previously that its members do not support Hamas or Hezbollah, and that it condemns "all attacks on civilians, always."
Hungary's government had already asked festival organizers to drop Kneecap from the line-up at the week-long event, which draws several hundred thousand music lovers to an island in the River Danube each year.
More than 150 artists and cultural figures, including Academy Award-winning director Laszlo Nemes Jeles, have also signed a petition protesting against Kneecap's planned performance on August 11.
Sziget organizers issued a statement calling the government's ban "an unprecedented move which we believe is both unnecessary and regrettable."
"Sziget Festival's values mean we condemn hate speech, while guaranteeing the fundamental right to artistic freedom of expression for every performer. Cancel culture and cultural boycotts are not the solution," they said.
Sziget's other performers this year include Post Malone, Shawn Mendes and Charli XCX.