Glastonbury has strongly denied that strong ties between the founder of Kneecap’s record label and the husband of the festival’s co-organiser led to a decision to keep the highly controversial band as part of the festival’s line-up.
As reported by the Daily Express, Nick Dewey, the husband of Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis, is a close friend of Jeff Barrett, founder of Heavenly Recordings, which signed Kneecap in September 2023. Dewey told the paper that Barrett was one of his “dearest and oldest friends”, but said that he “wouldn’t dream of putting pressure. I wouldn’t need to do that. The group are making their own success, partly helped along by the press.”
Kneecap were widely condemned earlier this year after reports emerged of the band encouraging a crowd to “kill your local MP”, as well as footage appearing to show one of the band members holding a Hezbollah flag on stage while shouting “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah.” That individual, Mo Charah, has been charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 for allegedly displaying support for a proscribed organisation.
Despite a number of high profile individuals, including both the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, criticising Glastonbury’s decision to keep the band as part of the festival line-up, Kneecap’s performance was not cancelled. While on stage, the band thanked Glastonbury for keeping them on the bill.
Glastonbury told the Express: “We categorically deny that that Nick Dewey had any involvement in giving Kneecap a platform at Glastonbury 2025.”
Meanwhile, Avon and Somerset police have released a statement confirming that they had reviewed “video footage and audio” from two different performances at the festival, one of which was Kneecap’s.
The statement went on to say that “following the completion of that assessment process we have decided further enquiries are required and a criminal investigation is now being undertaken.”
