Kanye West denied entry to UK, Wireless Festival canceled
The annual U.K. music event Wireless Festival has been canceled after rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was denied entry to the country, with the U.K. Home Office stating that Ye's presence in the country "would not be conducive to the public good."
The cancellation comes amid backlash to Ye's presence at the festival following antisemitic comments he made previously praising Nazis and denigrating Jewish people.
In a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, the U.K. Home Office said, "Kanye West made an application to travel to the UK yesterday via an Electronic Travel Authorisation. The Government has blocked West's permission to travel, and he does not hold a valid ETA."
"The decision was made on the grounds that his presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good," the interior ministry added.
Festival Republic, the organizer behind Wireless Festival, announced the cancellation in a statement Tuesday, citing the Home Office's decision.
"As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time," Festival Republic stated. "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."
Festival Republic said refunds would be issued to all ticket holders.
Ye, a controversial figure in recent years, also issued a statement on Tuesday responding to the backlash against his headlining presence at Wireless Festival.
"I've been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly," he wrote in his statement Tuesday. "My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music."
He continued, "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."
Ye has made headlines over the past several years with a series of escalating controversies, including advertising swastika T-shirts on his website, making offensive remarks about Jewish people, and praising Adolf Hitler, culminating with the release of a song titled "Heil Hitler" in 2025.
In January, Ye took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal expressing regret for some of his behavior involving antisemitism and Nazi allegiances, attributing his actions to bipolar disorder, which he said caused him to spiral into "a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life."
