Wireless Cancelled after Kanye West Banned from UK

Wireless festival announced Kanye West, now known as Ye, as the headliner for all three nights in July. The festival was due to take place between 10-12 July at London's Finsbury Park, one of the UK's biggest music festivals attracting up to 150,000 attendees each year. It would have marked Kanye's first UK performance since his Glastonbury Pyramid headline slot in 2015 and his first London festival headline set since he topped the bill at Wireless in 2014. 

The gigs were described as “a three-night journey through Ye’s most iconic records.” The booking came off the back of Ye’s January apology tour, in which he took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal saying he owed “a huge apology” for comments that hurt the Jewish and Black communities, and that “all of it went too far.” The ad was widely seen as paving the way for his comeback, including the release of his new album Bully in March.A statement added: “From ‘The College Dropout’, to ‘Graduation’, to ‘Late Registration’, to ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ and ‘The Life of Pablo’, Ye has created albums that have pushed boundaries and redefined hip hop – in doing so, he established a new sonic blueprint and cemented an enduring, undeniable legacy on the culture.

“Fresh from releasing his new album ‘Bully’, Ye’s UK comeback will be an extraordinary chapter in Wireless’ story.”

The booking has prompted widespread criticism. Ye’s history of antisemitism includes a 2025 song titled “Heil Hitler”, selling swastika T-shirts on his clothing site, publicly denying the Holocaust, and declaring himself “a Nazi” on social media, before later walking the comment back. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the Jewish Leadership Council, and the Campaign Against Antisemitism all spoke out against the booking, as did Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said it is “deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.” Health Secretary Wes Streeting was more pointed, calling Ye’s WSJ apology “mealy-mouthed and self-serving” and accusing Wireless of offering him “a fig leaf of credibility.” Melvin Benn, managing director of festival organiser Festival Republic, defended the booking, urging those upset to “offer some forgiveness.”

A series of festival sponsors have also cut their ties with Wireless as a result, including Pepsi, drinks giant Diageo, PayPal and Rockstar Energy, piling enormous pressure on the festival to take action.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ye broke his silence on the controversy, saying he had been “following the conversation around Wireless” and wanted to address it directly. “My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music,” he said, adding that he would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the UK’s Jewish community. The Board of Deputies of British Jews responded that the community would “want to see genuine remorse and change” before accepting that the main stage at Wireless was the right place to test his sincerity. Hours later, the Home Office confirmed the rapper had made an application to travel to the UK on April 6 via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which had been refused. It said the decision to refuse permission was made on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.

As a result, his concerts at Wireless have now been cancelled. It is not the first time Ye has been denied entry to a country over his conduct; he was also refused a visa to enter Australia in 2025.

“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,” said a spokesperson for the festival in a statement. As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE, and no concerns were highlighted at the time.”It added: “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.”