Kanye West banned from entering UK to headline Wireless Festival in row over antisemitic comments
Kanye West has been prevented from traveling to the UK to headline the Wireless Festival following a row over his anti-Semitic comments and mounting pressure on the government to intervene.
The rapper applied to travel to the country via an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) on Monday, but the Home Office stopped him on the grounds that his presence in the UK “would not be in the public interest”.
Shortly after, Wireless Festival announced that the three-day event was canceled and all ticket holders would be refunded.
It comes after ministers and Jewish groups said London festival organizers should be “ashamed” of inviting the US rapper to headline all three days of the event after he made a series of anti-Semitic statements last year. This included releasing a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertising the sale of a swastika T-shirt on its website.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism responded to the decision to prevent him from entering the country, saying the government had “clearly made the right decision”.
A spokesman added: “For the first time he said antisemitism had no place in the UK, and backed up his words with action.
“It is clear that someone who boasts of making tens of millions of dollars selling swastika T-shirts and who only a few months ago released the song ‘Heil Hitler’ would not be in the public interest in the UK.
“Wireless Festival, in a desperate search for profit, defended the invitation to the hilt. This is disgraceful and its sponsors should continue to stay away.”
As tickets went on sale for three concerts in Finsbury Park on Tuesday, West said he wanted to speak directly to the UK’s Jewish community following the backlash over his behaviour.
But Jewish leaders refused to meet with the rapper, and the Jewish Leadership Council told Wireless organizers they would not help “save their festival.”
CAA also said it would not meet with the US artist and that its members would protest at Wireless if his planned performances went ahead because “no one knows what will come out of Mr. West’s mouth on that stage”.
But Phil Rosenberg, chairman of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the group would be willing to meet with West if he withdraws from Wireless.
Melvin Benn, chief executive of Festival Republic, which backs Wireless Festival, claimed earlier on Tuesday that West already had a visa to enter the UK for the concerts, adding that the visa had been “issued within the last few days”.
Confirming the festival’s cancellation, a spokesperson said: “The Home Office withdrew the ETA, denying YE entry to the UK. As a result, the Wireless Festival has been canceled and all ticket holders will be refunded.”
“As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted prior to booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.
“Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have. As YE said today, he accepts that words alone are not enough and yet he still hopes to be given the opportunity to start a dialogue with the Jewish community in the UK.”
Pepsi, Rockstar Energy and Diageo withdrew their sponsorships of the festival after West headlined and no brands appeared as visible sponsors on Wireless Festival’s official website on Monday evening; This put pressure on the government to intervene.
The Press Association understands that PayPal, the payment partner for the annual rap and hip-hop festival, is not featured in any future promotional material.
Earlier on Tuesday, health minister Wes Streeting said organizers of the festival in Finsbury Park should be “ashamed” for “showing an appalling error of judgment” in booking West for the gig.
“These weren’t a few suggestive comments, they were a pattern of behaviour,” he told Sky News. Release of a song called “ Hi Hitlersticking this slogan on t-shirts and then using bipolar disorder as an excuse.
“And when he realized the impact this had on his reputation and career, he issued a hollow-mouthed apology that has now been given credence by the festival organisers, who should be ashamed of themselves. So I’m truly appalled.”
In January, West took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal titled “To My Hurts” to apologize.
“I’m not a Nazi or an anti-Semite,” he said. “I love Jews.”
In his letter, he said his bipolar disorder plunged him into “a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
