Canadian Government 'Urged' by Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to Deny Bob Vylan and Kneecap From Entering Canada
Immigration Minister Lina Diab says that, due to privacy legislation, the government is unable to comment on whether the British or Irish act will be barred from performing.
Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is appealing to the Canadian government to ban Bob Vylan and Kneecap from performing in the country.
As the Canadian Press reports, the CIJA is pushing for the government to deny entry to the two groups, who are being investigated in the U.K. for political statements made onstage at festivals.
Last month, the organization reportedly asked the ministers of public safety and immigration to ban the bands from crossing into Canada, citing that the public incidents condemning Israel's actions in Gaza during the country's war on Hamas violate "Canadian hate speech laws" and contradict "our core values."
On July 13, a group of spokespeaple from a group called the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem also reportedly urged promoters Live Nation and MRG Group not to allow Kneecap to perform in the fall.
Currently, Kneecap are scheduled to play shows in Toronto at History on October 14 and 15 and Vancouver at the Vogue Theatre of October 22 and 23. Bob Vylan do not currently have any shows scheduled in Canada.
Irish rap group Kneecap first displayed pro-Palestine messaging during their set at Coachella back in April, and group member Mo Chara was recently released on bail for a terror charge in the U.K. for allegedly flying a Hezbollah flag at their performance in London last November.
At this year’s Glastonbury festival, English punk rap duo Bob Vylan led a chant of “death to the IDF,” referring to Israel’s military — livestreamed on BBC — which incited an investigation, removal from numerous festival lineups and revoked U.S. visas.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather supported the visa decision and said Canada should follow suit, and said he’d raise the issue with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree.
A representative for Immigration Minister Lina Diab said that, due to privacy legislation, the government is unable to comment on individual cases.
"Each case is assessed individually,” said spokesperson Matthew Krupovich. "Entry to Canada may be refused for a number of reasons, including concerns related to security, human or international rights violations, or criminal activity.”
In a statement, CIJA said it had not heard back from either Anandasangaree or Diab. As of this writing, none of the shows have been cancelled.
This article was updated following its original publication on July 18, 2025.
- BBC Says It Should Have Pulled Coverage of Bob Vylan’s Controversial Glastonbury Set, Singer Says ‘I Said What I Said’ ›
- Bob Vylan and Kneecap’s Glastonbury Sets Under U.K. Police Investigation ›
- Music Biz Headlines: Canadians Shine at Glastonbury, Bob Vylan and Kneecap Investigated ›
- Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak Calls on Federal Government to Ban Kneecap From Entering the Country | Billboard Canada ›
- Le conseiller municipal torontois James Pasternak presse Ottawa d’interdire l’entrée de Kneecap au Canada | Billboard Canada ›
