Kneecap announce their most explosive show to date at Crystal Palace Park
Kneecap, the most incendiary band since the Sex Pistols; will headline their most explosive and biggest show to date at Crystal Palace Park, enlisting an all-timer collection of support acts from The Mary Wallopers to Fat Dog and Gurriers. Back to the belly of the beast, indeed…
Kneecap’s rise to fame has been monumental and they’ve pushed buttons in the way that few bands since the Sex Pistols have been able to; their heart in the right place and leading a rallying cry for Palestine in a way that has seen them at the forefront of political discourse over the summer of 2025 – with calls leading for them to be pulled from headline spots at Wide Awake and 2,000 Trees festival (and whilst those two held firm, they were pulled from several others; including the Eden Sessions in Cornwall) for their unwavering support. Now they’re back – headlining their biggest show to date; looking to tear up Crystal Palace Park in what will be 2 years almost to the very week since the release of Fine Art; their debut record.
Kneecap’s last venture into London was to beat the government in court; again – in their own words, but this time, it’ll be even bigger and better than the last time they played in London, enlisting Massive Attack for a memorable show at OVO Arena Wembley. 25,000 people capacity makes it their biggest show yet and one of the largest gatherings of people in London’s calendar slate – sure to be a melting pot of intense mosh pits that will start from the word go and not let off. They know they’re the champions and the heroes of the people and will have massive support in their droves, both in terms of a collective sense (Massive Attack, Paul Weller, Amyl and the Sniffers, Noel Gallagher and more are in their corner) and that of a line-up sense – enlisting their best mates and bands around to tag along – few better support acts for 2026 have been announced so far and this feels perfectly tailored to fans of the Irish punk rap supremos.
Enter The Mary Wallopers; equally as dedicated in their cause for Palestine, they also sent shockwaves around the music scene when Victorious Festival pulled their set one song in for sporting a Palestine flag; prompting a mass boycott of several other artists over the weekend. The Dundalk natives are free spirited, lively and always put on a riot of a show – joining Kneecap in the heart of what they call “the belly of the beast,” London, and for good reason. Building Up and Tearing England Down is one of the quieter songs of Mary Wallopers’ set – and their song Rich Man and the Poor Man shows that like Kneecap; they’re a champion of the working class. To sum them up – they’re best described as Dead Kennedys by way of The Clancy Brothers – but anyone who’s seen them live will know they’re a band just about unlike any around.
It is a return to South London for Brixton Windmill scene heroes Fat Dog - sure to go down a riot (woof! woof!), and industrial post punk outfit Gurriers, both equally talented and sure to whip up a storm of crowd-surfers long before Kneecap come on stage. Gurriers’ walk-on music to Franki Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You will have the crowd locked in and in a good mood long before the headliners. If you thought that was the end of it look no further: Madra Salach and Biig Piig are enlisted for a rising blend of folk experimentalism and modern pop. There are few better bills anywhere else – and where better for it than Crystal Palace Park, London’s original concert venue – that has played host to The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley and Pink Floyd? It’s sure to be a mammoth of a weekend – The Offspring and Dropkick Murphys journey to the same venue the day after – and a very rowdy, loud one indeed. 2026’s lineups have arrived in full force and this may be the best one yet. It looks like I’m spending my summer in Crystal Palace.
Sign up for the artist pre-sale starting at 9AM on Wednesday 26 November via www.kneecap.ie. Tickets go on general sale at 9AM on Friday 28 November via www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Words by Miles Milton-Jefferies
