Wireless Festival Cancelled After UK Blocks Kanye West Entry

Wireless Festival cancelled as UK government refuse to admit Kanye West, triggering refunds and intensifying backlash over antisemitism concerns.

This summer’s Wireless Festival has been cancelled after headliner Kanye West was blocked from coming to the UK.

The government refused permission for West, now known as Ye, to travel to the UK after backlash to his planned set at the London festival this summer.

For the last several years, West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments.

In a statement, Wireless Festival said it was cancelled and refunds would be issued to all ticket holders. It added that “multiple stakeholders” had been consulted ahead of booking West, “and no concerns were highlighted at the time”.

It continued: “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.”

Presale tickets for Wireless Festival were released at midday on Tuesday and are believed to have sold out, while the general sale was due to open at midday on Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Home Office told the BBC the rapper had made an application on Monday to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

It said the decision to refuse permission was made on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.

Visitors to the UK need an ETA if they do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months, or do not already have a UK immigration status.

West has faced criticism for his previous comments. In 2022, he posted on social media saying he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people”.

Later the same year, he appeared on a podcast hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and said: “I see good things about Hitler.”

In May 2025, West released a song called Heil Hitler and sold T-shirts featuring swastikas.

The rapper has been seeking a return to mainstream public view after apologising for his actions in a lengthy statement published in the Wall Street Journal in January.

Just last week, he played two sold-out concerts in Los Angeles, telling the crowd at the SoFi Stadium: “Tonight we’re going to put all this behind us, ain’t that right LA?”

West had said on Tuesday that he “would be grateful” to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK in person “to listen” after controversy over his booking.

“I know words aren’t enough,” added the star.

“I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”

Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, the company behind Wireless, previously said attempts had been made to reach out to Jewish groups after the concerts were announced, but “they have refused a meeting”. He said that the approach had been made over the past couple of days.

In response, a Board of Deputies spokesperson told the BBC: “Neither the Board of Deputies nor, we understand, the Jewish Leadership Council has refused any request to meet with the Wireless festival organisers.

“When the Board of Deputies received a letter from Melvin Benn on 6 April, proposing to meet, in response to a letter we sent setting out our concerns, we responded positively.”

The board said that, regardless of any meeting, they had been clear that the invitation for West to perform “should be rescinded”.

That decision has now been taken out of West’s hands, and those of Festival Republic, which runs other major UK festivals including Reading and Leeds.

Benn had hinted that West’s appearance may be in jeopardy when speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday morning.

“It may be that the home secretary does rescind his visa… if she does, the issue is over,” he told the Today programme.

Benn, who is a major UK music industry figure and event promoter, agreed that West’s past behaviour was “abhorrent” and “disgusting”.

But the promoter highlighted the role that the star’s mental health may have played, and asked for understanding.

“Mental health is not something that disappears overnight,” Benn said.

“People suffer psychotic behaviour, suffer bipolar behaviour, for many, many years… And I think people are forgetting that.”

After the cancellation was announced on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.

“This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.

“We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed similar sentiments earlier, calling West’s apology “mealy-mouthed and self-serving”, and accusing Wireless of offering the rapper a “fig leaf of credibility”.

“If he wants forgiveness, it’s not my forgiveness he needs,” Streeting told Radio 4.

“It’s the forgiveness of the Jewish communities and I don’t think he’s done anything to earn it.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp had said West was “guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments” and urged home secretary Shabana Mahmood to use her powers under the Immigration Act to refuse him a visa.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was glad the government had “listened and done the right thing by banning Kanye West from coming to the UK to peddle this hatred”.

Nigel Farage had earlier warned against banning the rapper from entering the country, but described his previous comments as “Nazism” and said: “I wouldn’t recommend anyone buys a ticket.”

Meanwhile, fans and detractors have been getting in touch with the BBC to voice their views.

“I am a Kanye West fan, but it is absolutely the right decision,” Chris Haydon, from Kent, told the BBC.

“It was ludicrous to even book Kanye for Wireless in the first place – let alone think it was a good business decision to secure him as the headliner for three entire days.

“Sure, he has a fantastic breadth of music, but that’s not the point. His behaviour has been repeatedly indefensible. It’s not a one-off rogue comment – it’s been years of deplorable behaviour.”

He added that it was “inevitable” that there would be “direct distress” for the Jewish communities neighbouring Finsbury Park, where the festival was set to be held.