Kanye West had recently expressed willingness to meet with members of the Jewish community in London, according to a new statement.
The UK’s Home Office has now denied Kanye West’s application to enter the country, where he was set to headline Wireless Festival this July. Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, officials said his presence would not be in the public’s best interest. The decision follows widespread backlash over the festival’s choice to feature the rapper, given his history of antisemitic controversies in recent years.
In response to the ruling, Wireless Festival has confirmed the cancellation of this year’s event. “As a result of the Home Office banning YE from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel,” the organizers shared in a statement on Instagram. “All ticket holders will receive an automatic full refund.”
Ahead of the Home Office’s ruling, Kanye West had said he was open to meeting with members of the Jewish community, sharing in a statement: “I know words aren’t enough. I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
That message came after a detailed apology he published earlier this year in The Wall Street Journal. “I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he admitted. “In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it.”
Back in the UK, several high-profile figures voiced strong opposition to Wireless Festival booking West as a headliner. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism. Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
Sajid Javid, Piers Morgan, and others also weighed in publicly on the situation.
