Massive Concert Featuring Fontaines D.C. and Noteecap Sells Out in 35 Minutes Amid DUP’s Calls for Prohibition

Belfast Show Sells Out Rapidly

The highly anticipated Belfast show featuring Fontaines DC and Kneecap this summer sold out in just half an hour, despite calls from the DUP to prohibit the event.

• READ MORE: Kneecap on the cover – giving peace, protest and parties a chance

News about the concert surfaced at the beginning of this month, when Fontaines, from the District of Columbia, confirmed their performance at the Boucher Road venue on August 29, alongside the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap.

Tickets were made available on Friday (April 25), and it has now been confirmed that the event was completely sold out—all tickets were snapped up in just 35 minutes.

The hip-hop trio took to X/Twitter to share the announcement earlier today (April 28), posting the updated poster and stating: “Belfast, you sold 40,000 in 35 minutes … it will be epic.”

Controversy Surrounds Upcoming Concert

The concert has drawn attention from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is calling for it to be banned. At a session in Belfast City Hall, DUP leader Sarah Banting suggested that the Council should reconsider the licensing for the event following the controversial performances by Kneecap at Coachella earlier this month.

Belfast, you sold 40,000 in 35 minutes … it will be epic ❤ https://t.co/4zn6pswo6p pic.twitter.com/cqasfujouo

– Kneecap (@kneecapceool) April 25, 2025

During their two performances at Coachella, the trio reportedly left the organizers “blinded” by the overt political messages in their shows, which included pro-Palestine projections and encouraging the audience to chant “free, free Palestine.”

The California performances also led to Sharon Osbourne calling for the withdrawal of their working visas. Kneecap responded to the backlash from both the festival and Osbourne, labeling the reactions a “coordinated smear” against their efforts to “highlight the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.”

In discussing the upcoming concert with Fontaines, Banting expressed concerns about Kneecap’s previous inflammatory behavior and associations, arguing that such rhetoric could damage the reputation of Belfast City Council.

Moreover, the scrutiny surrounding the group comes in light of recent news that counter-terrorism police are reviewing footage from the Kneecap show in London’s O2 Kentish in November 2024, which allegedly features a group member shouting “Up Hamas, Hezbollah” while displaying the Hezbollah flag.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are designated terrorist organizations, and under the 2000 Terrorism Act, this behavior constitutes “inviting support for a prohibited organization.”

Shortly thereafter, it was reported that police are also investigating a second video from the Kneecap concert, which purportedly shows a group member inciting violence against Conservative MPs. The footage is believed to originate from their November 2023 show, where a member is allegedly recorded saying, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local Tory.”

In response to news of inquiries into their first clip, Kneecap posted a statement lamenting, “18 months of genocide committed by personnel who have not been investigated by the police as terrorism.”

With ongoing tensions, Kneecap and the DUP have been at odds for years. Last year, the group accused the government of attempting to “silence” them after their BPI funding was blocked.

They argued that this action was a response to their provocative poster campaigning against the Tory tourism campaign in 2019, which had, according to them, “offended the Tories.” A subsequent court ruling found this action to be illegal, and the group was awarded £14,250, which was donated to two charities in Belfast.

Their vocal support for Palestine is not a recent development; last year they shared their “10 rules to live by,” which included: “Be honest, make your mark and defend your people. Stand up for Palestine and support oppressed people globally.”

Latter in the same year, Kneecap raised over £30,000 for food parcels in Gaza, earning media attention for refusing to remove their Palestinian symbols during an appearance on Irish television, and for organizing a charity concert with Primal Scream and Paul Weller.

Regarding the negative backlash from their Coachella sets, the group is reportedly in the process of securing a new sponsor for updated US visas for their October tour after their previous sponsorship was dropped by the Independent Artists Group (IAG) last week.

In a statement, Kneecap said, “The reason we are targeted is simple—we are speaking the truth, and our audience is expanding.”

“Those who attack us aim to silence criticism of a mass massacre. They throw false accusations of anti-Semitism to distract from and obscure the ongoing genocide,” they added, noting the “significant number of Jewish people” who are “outraged by this genocide, just like us.”

“We care that the governments of the countries where we perform allow some of the most heinous crimes committed in our lifetime—and we will not remain silent. No media will change that,” they continued.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cancwquxde8

Fontaines DC has been less vocal than Kneecap but has expressed their support for Palestine in the past. In an interview with NME, frontman Grian Chatten explained their desire to utilize their platform for meaningful causes, uniting with like-minded artists to create a charity release for Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

“It becomes incredibly tiring and devoid of civic duty—not just as a musician, but as a young person—to talk about highlighting awareness,” he noted. “At some point, you have to do something that feels a bit more tangible, you know?”

“Time is running out, and people are suffering and dying, etc.”

The Belfast show is not the only concert where Kneecap and Fontaines will perform together. The two groups are scheduled to join forces again in Finsbury Park, London this summer, as well as at a major outdoor concert in Manchester, where they will take the stage together in Wythenshawe Park.

As discussions continue about their Coachella performances, some MPs are already urging Glastonbury to remove Kneecap from its lineup, as well as from the TRNSMT bill. For instance, Central Scotland MSP Stephen Kerr spoke out regarding the group’s alleged comments about Tory MPs on stage, stating that “the glorification of violence against chosen representatives is neither ‘sharp’ nor ‘rebellious.’”

“No civilized society can tolerate this sort of poison. Nevertheless, incredibly, the organizers in Glasgow (TRNSMT) still intend to give these extremists a global platform. They must reconsider immediately,” he asserted.

As of now, the group remains on the festival lineups for both events.