The Welsh Government has said the Green Man Festival “should consider” whether Belfast rap trio Kneecap should perform at this year’s event, following backlash over comments allegedly made by the group promoting violence against MPs.

In a statement to the B&R, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We fully and unequivocally condemn calls for violence against any group or individual. The Green Man Festival should consider whether it is appropriate for the act to perform at this year’s festival, following their comments.”

The spokesperson added that any public funding related to the festival would have come from an arms-length body, not directly from Welsh Government.

The statement follows a call from a senior Welsh Conservative for the band to be removed from the line-up, citing the seriousness of the allegations and referencing the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.

Footage from a 2023 Kneecap gig appears to show a band member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Another video, also under police assessment, allegedly features a shout of “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a performance.

Kneecap strongly deny the allegations. In a statement, the group said they “reject any suggestion that [they] would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever,” and called the footage “deliberately taken out of all context.” They also offered apologies to the families of Cox and Amess, saying they “never intended to cause… hurt.”

Festival organisers have been contacted for comment.