Die Antwoord is a well-known South African hip-hop/rave group formed in 2008 in Cape Town. The band, consisting of musicians Watkin Tudor "Ninja" Jones and Anri "Yolandi Visser" du Toit, gained worldwide popularity thanks to their scandalous image, unique visual style, and aggressive beats.
Prior to 2022, the musicians regularly visited both Kyiv and Moscow with concerts, filling halls with thousands of fans and positioning their art as being outside of politics.
Die Antwoord's position on the war in Ukraine
Following the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, the members of Die Antwoord demonstrated a pro-Russian stance.
Provocation regarding Ukraine
In 2023, the band posted a provocative reel on their official Instagram account. The video showed a book titled "Why Ukraine will win". The book was then opened, and every page read: "It's not going to happen".
Performance at Yandex Park Live 2024
In 2024, Die Antwoord performed at the Yandex Park Live music festival. The relocation of the event from Russia to Kazakhstan and sponsorship by the major Russian corporation Yandex did not deter the musicians, who agreed to become one of the headliners of this event.
The band Placebo was announced as one of the headliners of the Yandex Park Live festival, but canceled their performance at the last moment. Prior to that, the British rock band Editors also refused to perform at the festival after learning that its sponsor was the Russian company Yandex.
Photo from Saint Petersburg
In August 2026, Die Antwoord published a photo on social media from a balcony, in the background of which users noticed the building of the Main Admiralty in Saint Petersburg. The photograph was presumably taken during one of their previous visits in 2018.
Amid the posts, speculation emerged regarding a possible return of Die Antwoord to Saint Petersburg. However, at this point the band has made no official announcements regarding an upcoming concert or new tour in Russia.
Although Die Antwoord have made no direct political statements, their actions — publicly mocking Ukraine's victory and collaborating with Russian business — indicate that they have taken Russia's side, automatically ending up on the side of the aggressor in this war.
Так они допи...делись что их везде кенселять. Поэтому не побрезговали на Парк Ливе выступить. Странно что они еще прямо в *ашке не выступили