WATCH: Kneecap Brings Irish-Language Hip Hop Revolution to Coachella 2025
Here’s something new and different. The sounds of Irish hip hop were echoed across the Coachella Valley this weekend, the first weekend of the biggest music concert in the world, as Belfast trio Kneecap made their festival debut, turning the California desert into a world stage for their Gaelic rhymes and anti-establishment energy.
What’s Gaelic? Well, it generally refers to the Goidelic branch of the Insular Celtic languages, specifically Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It’s important to note that while “Gaelic” is sometimes used as a broader term, it’s more accurate to refer to the language as Irish in Ireland and Scottish Gaelic in Scotland.
Now that we have that cultural introduction out of the way, Kneecap did their thing against expectations of indifferent festival crowds. The group commanded a passionate audience who moshed and rapped along—even those unfamiliar with the Irish language.
Who is Kneecap? They were formed in 2017 and have rapidly emerged as one of Ireland’s most provocative musical acts. They blend hip hop with electronic and rock influences while delivering politically charged lyrics entirely in Irish. Their breakthrough year saw the release of the acclaimed album “Fine Art” and a semi-fictional biopic that premiered at Sundance, introducing their unique sound to global audiences.
“We didn’t think that the movie would resonate with anybody outside of Ireland,” admitted member Moglai Bap. “But actually, in reality, it was about an international story.”
Get this: As bandmate Mo Chara explained, the story touches on universal themes of cultural preservation: “It’s an international story of languages being oppressed, because obviously the first protocol for colonialism is to eradicate the language and the culture.”
The group’s Coachella performance marked a significant milestone for the working-class Belfast artists who jokingly referred to themselves as “small city boys” backstage while sipping drinks. Despite concerns about their “pasty Irish skin” in the desert heat, their kinetic set proved their music’s global appeal.
Their music carries deep political significance when it comes to performing in Irish. The language only gained official recognition in Northern Ireland in 2022 after centuries of suppression. “The best thing you can do for your child in Ireland is to send them to an Irish school,” Chara emphasized. “When you lose our language, you lose understanding of where you’re from.”
Moreover, the trio has inspired a cultural revival, with fans reporting renewed interest in learning Irish through their music. Bap describes this as “a process of decolonization,” transforming linguistic shame into pride. “Everybody longs I think, deep down, for that sense of being grounded – of having an identity and being connected to something,” he reflected. Drawing parallels between Irish storytelling traditions and hip hop’s origins, Chara noted: “The winner always writes history. That’s where hip hop stems from – it’s the story of the people who never got to tell their story.”
As DJ Provai put it: “It gives a voice to voiceless people.” With their Coachella triumph, Kneecap continues amplifying that voice far beyond Ireland’s borders.