Kanye West blocked from travelling to UK as Wireless Festival cancelled
Organisers said Wireless Festival has been cancelled after the rapper was barred from travelling to Britain.
Kanye West has been blocked from travelling to Britain following a backlash over his planned headline performance at Wireless Festival. The American rapper made an application on Monday to come to the country via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for the show in London this summer.
But the Home Office stopped him on the grounds that his presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”. West, known as Ye, was facing growing calls to be banned from Britain over past antisemitic comments, including releasing a song called Heil Hitler.
Wireless Festival has been cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket-holders following the decision to bar him.
West had offered to meet with the British Jewish community ahead of the festival.
He said in a statement before the Government’s decision: “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly.
“My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music.
“I 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.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the Government had "clearly made the right decision".
A spokesperson for the group added: “For once, when it said that antisemitism has no place in the UK, it backed up its words with action.
"Someone who has boasted of making tens of millions of dollars from selling swastika t-shirts and who released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’ just months ago clearly would not be conducive to the public good in the UK. Wireless Festival, in its desperate quest for profit, defended the invitation until the end. That is shameful, and its sponsors should continue to stay away.”
Major sponsors had pulled out of the festival in Finsbury Park amid the controversy over West's planned appearance.
Melvin Benn, managing director at Festival Republic, which promotes Wireless Festival, had defended the decision to put West on the bill, describing himself as a “deeply committed anti-fascist” and “person of forgiveness”.
The rapper previously apologised for his behaviour and blamed it on bipolar disorder.
