Wireless festival cancelled after Kanye West banned from entering UK

Rapper had been booked to play at festival in London, prompting outcry over his past antisemitic remarks

The Wireless music festival has been cancelled after the artist formerly known as Kanye West was banned from entering the UK amid a deepening political row over his previous antisemitic statements.

West, who is legally known as Ye, made an application to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation on Monday and it was blocked by officials.

A spokesperson for the festival confirmed it would no longer go ahead in July and said refunds would be issued to customers who had already bought tickets.

The statement read: “The Home Office has withdrawn Ye’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders.

“As with every Wireless festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Ye and no concerns were highlighted at the time. Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had.

“As Ye said today, he acknowledges that words alone are not enough, and in spite of this still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK.”

It is understood that the application was initially granted online but was rescinded by Home Office ministers after review on the grounds that his presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good.

The rapper has been criticised for making antisemitic remarks including voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year he released a song called Heil Hitler, a few months after advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.

Ye took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal in January apologising for his antisemitic behaviour and attributing his inflammatory actions to his bipolar disorder. In a statement on Tuesday, he offered to “meet and listen” to members of the UK’s Jewish community.

Over the weekend, Keir Starmer joined criticism of the festival, saying it was “deeply concerning” that Ye had been booked to perform “despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of nazism”.

The decision to ban Ye left the Wireless organisers with three slots to fill at just three months’ notice. The ban came on the day presales began for this summer’s events, which were already competing in a busy field of London day festivals.

The organisers’ approach of using one A-list name to headline three back-to-back days meant options for a new artist were limited. Many artists will have had their summer schedule sorted months ago, so finding a replacement would have been complex.

On Monday evening, Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, which promotes Wireless, said Ye “intended to come in and perform”, adding that organisers were “not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions”.

Downing Street faced pressure on Tuesday afternoon to say whether Ye would be allowed to perform. Asked to clarify Ye’s visa status at lunchtime, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “We’ve been clear that his permission to enter the UK is under review as we speak. All available options remain on the table.”

He added: “Decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis in line with the law and the evidence available, but where individuals pose a threat to public safety or seek to spread extremism, the government has not hesitated to act, and that includes cancelling permission to enter this country for extremist preachers and far-right figures.”

Phil Rosenberg, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcomed the decision, saying he was grateful for the support of those across the political spectrum and from other minority and faith communities.

He said: “The situation could and should have been resolved much earlier. We hope that lessons are learned across the industry. Music festivals should be places where all communities feel welcome, not venues that platform individuals with records of profiteering from antisemitism, racism, and other repulsive views.”

Ye joins a list of American cultural figures to have at times been banned from entering the UK. Snoop Dogg was denied entry in 2007 after an incident a year earlier at Heathrow, which involved members of his entourage. He had to cancel a tour with P Diddy as a result. The ban was lifted in 2008.

In the same year as Snoop Dogg’s ban was lifted, the television personality Martha Stewart was barred from entering the UK because of her conviction in 2004 for several offences related to an illicit share deal.

Tyler, the Creator was banned for four years in 2015 by the then home secretary, Theresa May, because of his lyrics. May used anti-terrorism legislation to block his entry, claiming his music “encourages violence and intolerance of homosexuality” and “fosters hatred with views that seek to provoke others to terrorist acts”.

The restriction was lifted in 2019 and he told the Guardian he felt as if he had “won some invisible fight”.