The British government has barred rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, from entering the United Kingdom, prompting organizers to cancel this summer’s Wireless Festival. Ye had been scheduled to headline the event in July.
Organizers said the decision followed action by the Home Office, which oversees immigration, border security, policing, and counterterrorism in the UK. They said all ticket holders would receive full refunds.
The Home Office denied Ye’s application for electronic travel authorization, saying his presence would not be “conducive to the public good.” In 2025, the rapper released a song called “Heil Hitler” and the advertisement of a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the booking, writing on social media, “Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.”
Starmer said the government “stands firmly with the Jewish community” and would act to confront antisemitism.
The three-day festival was scheduled for July 10-12 in Finsbury Park. Ye was expected to perform his first UK shows in more than a decade. Organizers had not announced other acts.
Sponsors, including Pepsi, Rockstar Energy, and Diageo, also withdrew support after his booking was announced.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Ye said he “would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen.”
“I know words aren’t enough—I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here. With Love," he said.
Jewish community leaders expressed concern about his planned appearance. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the group would be willing to meet with the musician if he pulled out of the festival.
“The Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at the Wireless Festival,” Rosenberg said.
Festival Republic, the organizer, had stood by Ye. In a statement issued Monday, Managing Director Melvin Benn urged people to offer the performer “forgiveness and hope.”
“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,” the statement said.
“Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have had,” the statement said.
The Community Security Trust, which works to protect British Jews, said the government had made the right decision. “Anti-Jewish hatred should have no place in society and cultural leaders have a role to play in ensuring that is the case,” the group said in a statement.
Ye recently returned to the U.S. stage with two sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in April. The shows were his first full live performances in the country since 2021.
The concerts drew capacity crowds and generated millions in revenue. The performances in the United States followed two sold-out shows in Mexico City in January 2026. In 2025, he had a few international shows, including in China.
“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence,” he wrote. “In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.” The apology marked one of his most direct attempts to address the backlash that affected his career and business relationships in recent years.