Wireless Festival cancelled after Kanye West blocked from travelling by UK government
The rapper's application to travel to the UK has been officially declined, the government has confirmed.
By Nick Reilly
Wireless Festival has announced its cancellation after the UK government blocked Kanye West’s ability to travel to the UK for the gigs this summer.
As the BBC reports, the rapper applied to travel to the UK yesterday through an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
That application has now been turned down by the government on the grounds that his presence was deemed to not be conducive to the public good.
It comes after the rapper faced intense calls for him to be banned from headlining three nights of the London event after his antisemitic comments last year.
The festival has now confirmed that the whole event will be cancelled in the wake of the government’s decision.
“The Home Office has withdrawn YE’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom.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,” a statement from Festival Republic said.
“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.”
Four major sponsors including Pepsi and Rockstar Energy pulled out of the event over the Easter weekend, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the booking as “deeply concerning.” The performance has also been condemned by London mayor Sadiq Khan.
Kanye had previously issued a fresh apology in the Wall Street Journal this morning and offered to meet the Jewish community in Britain.
In his latest statement, West said: “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music.”
The rapper, who has not performed in the UK since 2015, faced widespread condemnation last year for sharing antisemitic posts on social media, describing himself as a Nazi, paying for a a Super Bowl advert which promoted a swastika T-shirt, and a song which praised Hitler.
The cancellation comes after Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn, who green lit the booking, condemned West’s comments yesterday but defended the planned performance.
In a statement, Benn called on critics to offer Ye “forgiveness and hope,” saying, “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world.”
Alluding to West’s apology, in which the rapper tied his antisemitic outbursts to his battle with bipolar disorder, Benn said that, for the past 15 years, he’s had a person in his life who also “suffers from mental illness.” Benn added that he had witnessed “many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from.”
West recently returned to the stage with two nights at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to coincide with the release of his new album, Bully. Though his Wireless performance is no longer happening, he has upcoming shows scheduled in India, Turkey, and several major European cities.
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