Kneecap at Rockhal

In 2024, three rappers from Belfast played themselves in a film about their own early days. It became the first Irish-language film to premiere at Sundance, where it won an audience award. The band is Kneecap, and they rap in Irish and English, often in the same line.

Kneecap play the Rockhal Main Hall on Friday 6 November. Doors at 19:00.

The Belfast trio rap in Irish and English, often inside the same line, and they are the reason a minority language has turned up on festival main stages across Europe. Live, it is closer to a rave than a rap show.

Standing, Main Hall, promoted by den Atelier. Rockhal notes that under-14s need an adult with them, under-5s are not admitted, and children need their own ticket. Caravan Palace are in the Club the same night, so Belval will be busy.

Who are Kneecap?

Kneecap are a hip-hop trio formed in Belfast in 2017: Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap on vocals, with DJ Próvaí on the decks. They rap in a mix of Irish and English, over beats that pull in acid house, trip-hop and dubstep, and the Rockhal describes a tone that swings between sharp commentary and pure celebration.

Their story reached cinemas in 2024 with Kneecap, a fictionalised film of the group’s early days in which the three members play themselves, alongside Michael Fassbender. It was the first Irish-language film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Audience Award, and director Rich Peppiatt won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Their records

• 3CAG (2018): their first full-length release.
• Fine Art (2024): No. 2 in Ireland and No. 3 in Scotland, with “Better Way to Live” featuring Grian Chatten.
• Fenian (2026): released on 1 May 2026 on Heavenly Recordings and produced by Dan Carey, mixing hip-hop and punk-rap with grime, post-punk and techno. It went to No. 1 in Ireland and Scotland and No. 2 in the UK.

Songs to know before the night: “C.E.A.R.T.A.”, “H.O.O.D.”, “Guilty Conscience”, “Better Way to Live”, “Sick in the Head” and “Irish Goodbye”.

Milestones

• “Sick in the Head”, from the film, was shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Original Song.
• “Irish Goodbye”, a single from Fenian, features Kae Tempest.
• The Rockhal presents Fenian as a confident, expansive new chapter after the debut era and the film.