Wireless Festival cancelled after Kanye West blocked from coming to UK

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In a statement, Wireless Festival said: "The Home Office has withdrawn Ye's ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom.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."

It continued: "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."

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 made an application to travel to the UK on Monday 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.

Responding to the cancellation of Wireless and the festival's latest statement, a spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "With no headliner and multiple sponsors dropping out, Wireless has had to cancel the festival.

"How did it come to this? Apparently 'no concerns were highlighted' about Kanye West at the time of the booking. Who were they consulting? A wall? That's what happens when the only stakeholders you speak to are those who stand to make a profit."

The group added: "It's nice that now Wireless is saying 'Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent' when just a few hours ago the festival promoter was saying we all need to forgive Kanye for declaring himself a full-blown Nazi only recently."

The rapper said earlier on Tuesday he "would be grateful" to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK after controversy over his booking.

In a statement, West said he had been "following the conversation around Wireless", and offered to meet representatives of the community in person "to listen".

"I know words aren't enough," added the star, who has a history of making antisemitic comments. "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 were 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 be perform "should be rescinded".

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

"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."

However, Jewish groups criticised Benn's support for the star.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which aims to protect British Jews from antisemitism described the government's decision to stop West travelling to the UK as "a sensible outcome to what has been yet another bruising episode for British Jews".

Its statement added: "Anti-Jewish hatred should have no place in society and cultural leaders have a role to play in ensuring that is the case.

"People who show genuine and meaningful remorse for previous antisemitic behaviour will always receive a sympathetic hearing from the Jewish community, but that process must come before this kind of public rehabilitation."

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 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 had also called for West to be banned from entering the UK, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "Personally I wouldn't buy a ticket."

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

One fan, Courtney, said: "I bought my ticket in the PayPal pre-sale three or four days ago. I had looked at flights and accommodation, but my friend, she's been a big Kanye West fan since she was about 13, and she's just bought her ticket this morning.

"I was really disappointed. Everything that's going on in the UK at the moment (when it comes to free speech) is absolutely ridiculous."

Another, Daniel, described himself as "a very self-aware fan."

"I know that what he's said is definitely not okay, but I feel that people should vote with their money, and if people didn't agree with what he said, then they shouldn't buy tickets.

"The government stepping in... completely breaks the fact that people should be able to vote with their money."

But Rosie told the BBC: "I didn't realise some of the things he's said were as bad as they were until right now. If I'd known the depth of it before I'd booked, I might have felt differently about it.

"From a selfish point of view, I feel more resentment towards him as an artist. It's inexcusable now really. "

Chris wrote that the decision to invite West to headline was "totally disgusting".

"[West] has previously apologised for similar behaviour in the past, and then subsequently reneged on that apology," he noted. "And it also seems like more than coincidence that this 'apology' coincides with the fact that he has just released a new album.

"We have a big enough problem with extremist views already in this country, without potentially adding fuel to the fire."