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BBC chooses not to live stream Kneecap's Glastonbury set

Getty Images A man in a red boiler suit and tricolour balaclava stands between two men who wear white tracksuit tops. The man on the left holds a black microphone and wears a black and white scarf and a black baseball cap. The man on the right has on black sunglasses and white trainersGetty Images
Kneecap during their set on the West Holts Stage

Kneecap's set at Glastonbury was not screened live on Saturday, but could be made available on demand later, the BBC has confirmed.

Politicians and music industry officials petitioned Glastonbury to drop the band, after rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig last year. He denies the charge.

Hezbollah is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK.

Glastonbury defended the decision to proceed with the gig on the West Holts Stage, with organiser Emily Eavis saying: "We remain a platform for many, many artists from all over the world and, you know, everyone is welcome here."

Getty Images A man wears a red boiler suit with a green white and orange flag on his left chest. He wears a balaclava that is the same colour as the flag. He puts both his hands up to his ears. His right hand holds a black microphone. Getty Images
Band member DJ Provaí during day four of Glastonbury

The west Belfast band's appearance has caused problems for the BBC, which has to decide whether it can broadcast their set and meet its obligations to impartiality and offensive language, following the arrest of Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who was charged under the name Liam O'Hanna.

In a statement, the BBC said: "Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines.

"We don't always live stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets."