Kneecap announce biggest show of their career with Belfast Arena gig

Kneecap have announced the biggest show of their career at the Belfast Arena. Find all the details below.

The rap group, who released their debut album ‘Fine Art’ today (June 14), will play their largest headline gig in their hometown, where they are set to play at the SSE Arena on December 21.

In a statement, they wrote: “What’s Happenin a chairde Gael, the long wait is over and our debut album is finally here!! After 800 years of tomfoolery from the British government we have potentially struck the final blow to the imperialists.

“We will have our biggest show in Belfast in December, our final gig of the year at the SSE with 6000 fenians for a night of debauchery,” they added. “As well we’ve tours of England, Scotland and America and festivals around Europe!”

Kneecap added: “We wanna thank everyone that has supported us this far and that has bought the album. Now it’s time to get whacked out of it!!!”

Tickets will go on presale at 10am BST next Wednesday (June 19) ahead of the general sale at the same time on Friday (21). You’ll be able to buy yours here.

Check out the announcement post below.

Kneecap are also due to embark on a UK and US headline tour, along with several festival appearances – check out a full list of dates below and buy US tickets here.

Kneecap’s 2024 UK/US tour is:

JUNE
15 – Bergenfest – NORWAY
29 – Glastonbury Festival (Woodsies / Pilton Palais / Shangri-La) – U.K.

JULY
5 – Rock Werchter – BELGIUM
6 – Down The Rabbit Hole – HOLLAND
9 – Galway Film Fleadh – GALWAY (film screening)
11 – Mad Cool Festival – SPAIN
13 – Bitterzoet – AMSTERDAM
14 – Valkhof Festival – NETHERLANDS
18 – Heineken Big Top – GALWAY
20 – Super Bock Festival – PORTUGAL

AUGUST
15 – Summer Sessions – IRELAND
16 – Electric Picnic – IRELAND
23 – Reading Festival – U.K.
24 – Leeds Festival – U.K.

SEPTEMBER
18 – Brooklyn Bowl – PHILADELPHIA 
19 – Knockdown Centre – BROOKLYN 
21 – Paradise Rock Club – BOSTON 
23 – Union Stage – WASHINGTON 
25 – A&R Music Bar – COLUMBUS 
26 – Louder Than Life Festival – LOUISVILLE 
27 – Concord Music Hall – CHICAGO 

OCTOBER
29 – Vicar Street – DUBLIN
30 – Vicar Street – DUBLIN
31 – Vicar Street – DUBLIN

NOVEMBER
14 – Foundry – SHEFFIELD 
15 – New Century Hall – MANCHESTER 
16 – Barrowlands – GLASGOW – SOLD OUT 
17 – Barrowlands – GLASGOW
19 – Rock City – NOTTINGHAM 
20 – SXW – BRISTOL 
21 – The O2 Forum – LONDON 

DECEMBER
19 – City Hall – CORK
20 – City Hall – CORK
21 – SSE Arena – BELFAST

NME profiled the breakout band in a recent Cover story, where they addressed their controversial move to not pull out of the Great Escape festival – despite the festival being sponsored by Barclays, resulting in over 125 bands dropping out.

Barclays is accused of investing in a number of companies that supply arms to Israel, with over 35,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the historic conflict escalated last year, with Hamas committing the October 7 attacks.

Speaking to NME, Móglaí Bap said: “If your income depends on this life and you’re a touring band, then everything’s connected to one of these companies in some way. Ideally, if we had the money, we’d just boycott everything and sit in the house and tweet all day.”

Meanwhile, bandmate Mo Chara argued that “SXSW was obviously a completely different thing”, adding: “That was the army sponsoring it, do you know what I mean?”

Elaborating on their decision to play The Great Escape, Chara said: “We’ve met Palestinians as well who have said that they don’t think it’s fair that the burden is on the artist either.

“They completely agree: you go, you make your money, you say what you can. Would you rather be a martyr with no cause? No one’s gonna give a fuck if you pull out of this festival, lose money and de-platform yourself.”

In other news, Kneecap have shared the trailer for their epic biopic movie starring Michael Fassbender.