Hip Hop/Rap
Sadiq Khan distances himself from Kanye West’s Wireless Festival booking
Sadiq Khan has made it clear he had no role in Kanye West’s Wireless Festival booking as backlash mounts over the rapper’s controversial past comments.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has publicly stepped back from Kanye West’s headline slot at Wireless Festival, insisting City Hall had nothing to do with the decision.
Ye — who released his new album Bully on March 28 — is set to perform across three nights at Finsbury Park from July 10–12, but the announcement has sparked immediate criticism given his history of antisemitic remarks and inflammatory behaviour.
A spokesperson for the mayor told Complex: “We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values. This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one that City Hall is involved in.”
The UK’s Jewish Leadership Council condemned the booking as “deeply irresponsible,” pointing to a surge in antisemitic incidents nationwide.
They told Billboard: “The UK Jewish community is facing record levels of antisemitism… including a terrorist attack in Manchester, the attack on ambulances in Golders Green and foiled plots which would have killed many more.”
Kanye’s Wireless appearance comes just months after he issued a lengthy public apology in the Wall Street Journal, addressing both the Jewish and Black communities and reflecting on a severe bipolar episode.
In the full‑page letter, he admitted: “I lost touch with reality… I said and did things I deeply regret,” adding that he gravitated toward “the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika,” during a manic period he described as “psychotic, paranoid and impulsive.”
He wrote that he was “deeply mortified” by his actions and committed to “accountability, treatment, and meaningful change,” stressing: “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
The rapper — who has four children with ex‑wife Kim Kardashian and is now married to Bianca Censori — also apologised to the Black community, saying he wants “peace and understanding” as he focuses on “positive, meaningful art.”
Despite the controversy, Wireless organisers have not commented further, and Ye remains locked in as the festival’s three‑night headliner.
