UK music festival canceled after headliner Ye denied entry into country

Organizers of a popular United Kingdom music festival are canceling the annual event after its headliner, Ye, was denied entry into the country over his past antisemitic remarks.

“The Home Office has withdrawn Ye’s [electronic travel authorization,] denying him entry into the United Kingdom,” a Tuesday statement from the team behind the Wireless Festival said.

“As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders,” the statement said of the event, which had been scheduled for July.

ITK has reached out to the Home Office for comment. 

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, had been announced as the headliner of London’s three-night music festival last week. But critics noted his long history of inflammatory and antisemitic remarks, as well as his embrace of the Nazi swastika.

Several companies — including Pepsi and PayPal, reportedly dropped their Wireless Festival sponsorships amid the uproar about the Ye booking. 

In a 2022 interview, Ye praised Adolf Hitler, saying he “liked” the Nazi leader. Last year, he sold T-shirts online that featured swastikas.

In a full page ad in The Wall Street Journal in January, Ye apologized “to those I’ve hurt,” saying that mental health challenges caused him to lose “touch with reality.”

The 48-year-old “Stronger” rapper, who said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2023, told the BBC in a statement before the festival’s cancelation that he was willing to meet with representatives of the Jewish community “to listen” in person. 

In its Tuesday statement, organizers of the music event said, “As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Ye and no concerns were highlighted at the time.”

“Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have had,” the statement said.

“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,” the Wireless Festival statement said. 

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