Wireless Festival has been cancelled after headliner Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, was denied entry to the United Kingdom by the government.
The Home Office withdrew Ye’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), ruling that his presence would not be conducive to the public good. The rapper had applied to travel to the UK on Monday ahead of his planned appearance at the London festival this summer.
In a statement, organisers confirmed the cancellation, saying: “The Home Office has withdrawn Ye's ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom.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.”
The festival added that “multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time,” but acknowledged the wider controversy surrounding the artist. “Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had,” the statement continued, noting that Ye had expressed a desire to engage with the Jewish community.
The decision follows years of backlash over Ye’s antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments, which have drawn widespread condemnation from politicians and advocacy groups.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said antisemitism “must be confronted firmly wherever it appears,” while Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the rapper’s apology as “mealy-mouthed and self-serving.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism said the government had made the “right decision” in blocking Ye’s entry, adding that the festival’s cancellation came after sponsors withdrew and criticism intensified. The group also questioned the organisers’ claim that no concerns had been raised during the booking process.
Ye said he would be “grateful” for the opportunity to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK, acknowledging that “words aren’t enough” and that he would need to demonstrate change through actions.
Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, the promoter behind Wireless Festival, had previously defended the booking in a statement to Variety:
“I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970’s that was attacked on October 7th, am pro Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state.
“Having had a person in my life for the last 15 years who suffers from mental illness, I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from. If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.
“What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the Prime Minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.
“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone, and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country. He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinions 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.
“Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing, divisive world, and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”
Despite that defence, pressure mounted in the days leading up to the cancellation, with political figures and community organisations urging action. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Ye was “guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments” and called for his visa to be refused.
The festival’s main sponsor, Pepsi, said on Sunday it would end its decade-long co-branding partnership with Wireless. It was followed by Diageo – the owner of Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan – which also pulled its sponsorship. On Tuesday, Rockstar and PayPal confirmed they too would withdraw their support.
With its headline act unable to enter the country and mounting criticism from multiple quarters, organisers ultimately confirmed the festival would not go ahead.
Image credit: Pieter-Jannick Dijkstra, CC BY 2.0 <Deed - Attribution 2.0 Generic - Creative Commons >, via Wikimedia Commons