Centre-Right Parties Urge Zurich To Cancel Kneecap Show Over Israel Views

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The centre-right parties in Zurich City Council want to prevent the Northern Irish band Kneecap from performing. They have called on the City Council to push for entry bans on the band over its solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Centre-right parties urge Zurich to cancel Kneecap show over Israel views This content was published on November 12, 2026 - 11:18 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Zürcher Stadtrat soll Konzert von Israel-Kritikern verhindern Original Read more: Zürcher Stadtrat soll Konzert von Israel-Kritikern verhi

The concert at the X-tra has been sold out for months. On Wednesday evening, centre-right parties called on the Zurich City Council to prevent the performance by Kneecap, a hip-hop group from Northern Ireland, on November 22. At a minimum, the parties say the Council should press federal authorities to impose an entry ban on the band.

The reason cited is alleged support for terrorism. The band members campaign for Palestine, which is in line with the prevailing opinion in Ireland. As well as chanting“Free Palestine”, they also denounce Israel on stage and speak of genocide in Gaza.

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Hezbollah flag on stage

The parties cite, above all, an incident that ended up in court. At a concert in London in 2024, a member displayed a flag of the Lebanese Hezbollah on stage. The case was dismissed due to procedural errors.

The parties also point to performance bans in Canada and Hungary. In 2025, concerts at the Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany were also cancelled. The band has already made its Swiss debut: this summer, they performed in Neuchâtel at the Festi'neuch festival. Concerts are also planned in Lausanne and Geneva. All are sold out.

It remains to be seen whether the initiative by the centre-right parties will achieve anything. They themselves say that the City of Zurich has only limited scope for action. However, the city is a lender to the private Limmathaus Foundation, which owns the building, and appoints members to the foundation's board.

“We expect the City Council to use its powers to set out clear expectations to the foundation and the operator regarding the handling of such performances,” the statement reads.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.

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