Hip Hop/Rap
Kanye West banned from entering the UK by the Home Office ahead of Wireless Festival
Kanye West has been barred from entering the UK by the Home Office, blocking his planned appearance at Wireless Festival.
Kanye West has been banned from entering the UK to headline Wireless Festival, with the Home Office confirming it has refused him entry.
The move follows mounting criticism of the rapper’s past behaviour and antisemitic comments.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said earlier: “Decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis in line with the law and the evidence available, but where individuals pose a threat to public safety or seek to spread extremism, the Government has not hesitated to act, and that includes cancelling permission to enter this country for extremist preachers and far-right figures.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was “appalled” by Kanye’s behaviour and accused him of using his bipolar disorder as an “excuse”.
He said: “What I would say is that Kanye West has no business headlining the wireless festival. I think organisers showed a terrible error of judgement in inviting him. These weren't a couple of off colour remarks. These were, I think, a pattern of behaviour.
“Antisemitism is serious, it can be deadly and people like Kanye West, who have an enormous platform, fame, reach, they have to accept the responsibility that comes with that. And I don't think he has. I'm only too disappointed the festival organisers are too blind to see it.”
Last week, a spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “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 organizers and not one that City Hall is involved in.”
The decision comes despite Kanye's vow to bring “peace and love” to Wireless.
In a statement released on Tuesday (07.04.26), Kanye 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.
Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which owns Wireless, defended the decision to keep Kanye on the bill.
He 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.
Melvin emphasised his support for Jewish people and the Jewish state, while also backing a Palestinian state.
Melvin 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.
