Wireless Festival has been canceled after its headliner, Kanye West, was denied entry into the UK.
The London-based rap and R&B festival announced in a statement on Tuesday (April 7): “As a result of the Home Office banning YE from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel. All ticket holders will recieve an automatic full refund.”
The shock move follows mounting pressure from major sponsors, campaign groups and even UK leaders over the festival’s decision to book the controversial rapper as its sole headliner, despite his antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments in recent years.
Pepsi, Paypal and Diageo, among other brands, all pulled out of sponsoring the festival in recent days in protest of Ye’s booking, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called it “deeply concerning.”
According to the BBC, Kanye made an application to travel to the UK on Monday (April 6) via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The Home Office rejected his application on the grounds that his presence in the country would not be conducive to the public good.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kanye issued a statement addressing the backlash to his planned Wireless Festival performances, promising that his “only goal is to present a show of change” and “bring unity, peace and love through my music.”
He also offered to meet with “members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews responded to Ye’s statement by saying: “We are willing to meet Kanye West as part of his journey of healing, but only after he agrees not to play the Wireless Festival this year.”
In a surprise turn of events, Kanye had been defended by the managing director of Festival Republic, the company behind Wireless Festival, prior to his UK ban and the festival’s cancelation.
“What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me,” said Melvin Benn in a statement. “Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country.
“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions.”
Benn added: “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”
Kanye West was scheduled to healine all three nights of Wireless Festival on July 10, 11 and 12.
The Chicago native has not faced similar backlash on home soil having recently performed two sold-out shows at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium in support of his new album Bully.
Ye was joined by a number of special guests over the two concerts including Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott and Don Toliver.
There are consequences in life. You can’t just go around saying toxic things and not expect ramifications.my question is, what type of individual actually spends money to support this man and why?Jesus is king!
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I would assume festival promoters were pushing for and cheering the denial of entry. After all the major sponsors jumped ship, the event would have been a fiscal disaster. Now their insurance company can cover lost income due to the canceled event.
Zionism.
They arrested people for posting comments online that country is insane. The US should end all ties with them. I mean they lie about bombing Iran the Muslims there need to call it out.
Muslims need to rise against this
Muslims don’t give a shit about Kanye West 😂
UK is more concerned with this than having a functional government. Ye was right again!
He was right about Israel and those people.
Israeli Derangement Syndrome is a real thing and you are definitely infected with it
Ye’s new album is dumpster juice
They’re doing people a favor by canceling it
Apparently Pepsi ok’d Ye performing but then pulled out of sponsoring. Nick Fuentes is right.
Even though the songs don’t promote violence or antisemitism? This act however will cause more to think about a certain group in power.
No deluxe version happening. Also funny UK bans Ye over words, Mel Gibson was also cancelled by Ari Emmanuel but Hasan Piker is safe also repped by Ari at WME. Chappelle too aftet his statements on Israel.
Hasan’s mod killed 2 Israeli diplomats in DC. Funny how nothing is done there and it was covered up.
Release A Perfect World that album and HH again!
Disgusting zionists but they will fund war and controlled op in the media. WW2 was started over Germany holding banks accountable not anything else.
Semitic is a language not a people. Adolfo was right. Look up the bolsheviks that was worse.
They did the same to Michael Jackson. They Don’t Care About Us was about Israel but they made him cut that video. All the slander comes from them they run the banks, they run the companies, they run government, they run media, and they run all the agencies that control celebrities. Anyone not being cancelled is controlled by them. Bill Cosby innocent, Diddy only jailed for challenging them, RKelly he wanted to own his music, they even do it to others like Weinstein for not being high rank enough. Byron Allen they took his money away.
Hasan Piker not banned though. Once again we see zionists in charge anyone against them punished and anyone still allowed to be pushed but claims to be otherwise is controlled opposition.
But UK drill culture is fine. Indians and Africans breaking in the country. US needs to all ties with the UK. Trump actually do something useful!
The UK still does business with the CCP and companies backed by them same with Canada. Look up the Uyghurs.
Remember what Dave Chappelle said. ‘I stand with…’ is the code word for they got gat