The Wireless music festival has been cancelled after the artist formerly known as Kanye West was banned from entering the UK. The rapper, legally known as Ye, had been due to headline all three days of the July event, but his electronic travel authorisation was withdrawn by the Home Office.
Festival organisers confirmed the event would no longer go ahead and said refunds would be issued to all ticket holders. In a statement, they said multiple stakeholders had been consulted before booking Ye and no concerns were raised at the time. They acknowledged that antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent and noted that Ye had said words alone are not enough, expressing hope for a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK.
The decision to block Ye came after a review of his application, which had initially been granted online. It was deemed that his presence would not be conducive to the public good. Ye has previously made antisemitic remarks, including voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler, releasing a song titled Heil Hitler, and advertising a swastika T-shirt. In January, he apologised in a Wall Street Journal advertisement, attributing his behaviour to bipolar disorder.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had described the booking as 'deeply concerning'. The ban left festival organisers with three headline slots to fill at short notice, complicating plans for the summer event. Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which promotes Wireless, said Ye intended to perform and was not being given a platform to extol opinions, only to play his songs.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcomed the decision. He said the situation could and should have been resolved much earlier and hope lessons are learned across the industry, adding that music festivals should be places where all communities feel welcome.
