Hip Hop/Rap
Kanye West promises 'peace and love' at Wireless Festival and offers to meet UK Jewish community
Kanye West has issued a new statement promising unity ahead of his Wireless Festival headline slot and says he is willing to meet members of the UK’s Jewish community.
Kanye West has insisted he wants to bring “peace and love” to London’s Wireless Festival after facing fierce backlash over his three‑night headline booking this July.
Sponsors including Pepsi have already pulled out, and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the decision to book him “deeply concerning”, but the rapper says he intends to show that his past antisemitic remarks are behind him.
In a statement released on Tuesday (07.04.26), Ye said he had been watching the reaction to his appearance and wanted to address it directly.
He explained that his goal is to come to London and “present a show of change”, adding that he hopes to bring unity through his music.
He also said he would welcome the chance to meet members of the UK’s Jewish community in person, stressing that he understands words alone are not enough and that he must demonstrate change through his actions.
Kanye, who also goes by Ye, has been widely criticised in recent years for making antisemitic comments and expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler, even releasing a track titled Heil Hitler and selling a T‑shirt featuring a swastika on his website.
He later issued an apology in a full‑page Wall Street Journal advert, writing that he is “not a Nazi or an antisemite” and declaring his love for Jewish people.
He has since attributed his behaviour to a severe manic episode in early 2025, saying he lost touch with reality and deeply regrets the things he said and did during that period.
His Wireless booking has drawn political attention, with Prime Minister Starmer stating that antisemitism “must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears” and insisting that public figures have a responsibility to ensure Jewish people feel safe in Britain.
However, Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which owns Wireless, defended the decision to keep Kanye on the bill.
Benn described himself as a lifelong anti‑fascist and said he had lived on a kibbutz in the 1970s that was later attacked on October 7.
He emphasised his support for Jewish people and the Jewish state, while also backing a Palestinian state.
Benn said Kanye’s previous comments were “abhorrent” to him, but argued that the rapper’s music is already widely available in the UK and that he has a legal right to perform.
He added that Wireless is not providing Kanye with a platform to express political views, only to perform songs already streamed and enjoyed by millions.
He urged the public to consider the value of forgiveness, saying that offering people a second chance is becoming a “lost virtue” in an increasingly divided world.
