Wireless Festival has been cancelled after the UK government blocked headliner Kanye West — now known as Ye — from entering the country, citing his years of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments.

The Home Office withdrew West’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) on Tuesday, determining that his presence in the UK would not be “conducive to the public good.” Festival organisers confirmed all ticket holders will receive full refunds.

Years of controversy that led to the ban

West’s history of deeply offensive behaviour stretches back years. In 2022 he posted that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” and later that year appeared on Alex Jones’s podcast to say he saw “good things about Hitler.” In May 2025, he released a song titled Heil Hitler and sold T-shirts featuring swastikas. He had been seeking a return to public life following an apology published in the Wall Street Journal in January, and just last week played two sold-out concerts at the SoFi Stadium in LA, telling the crowd: “Tonight we’re going to put all this behind us.”

But for Jewish groups and much of the UK political establishment, that wasn’t enough. The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust (CST), and the Campaign Against Antisemitism had all called on the government to block his entry.

Festival organisers in the firing line

Festival Republic, the company behind Wireless — which also runs Reading and Leeds — had already lost major sponsors including Pepsi and Diageo after the booking was announced. Managing director Melvin Benn had tried to defend the decision, arguing that West’s mental health played a role in his behaviour and asking for understanding. He also claimed attempts had been made to reach out to Jewish community groups, a claim the Board of Deputies disputed.

In their statement following the cancellation, Wireless said: “Multiple stakeholders were consulted ahead of booking West, and no concerns were highlighted at the time.” They added that antisemitism is “abhorrent” and acknowledged the “real and personal impact” it has had.

Political fallout

Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless. This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 7, 2026

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wasted no time weighing in. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called West’s apology “mealy-mouthed and self-serving,” while Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp had urged the government to act under the Immigration Act. Even Nigel Farage, who had initially warned against a ban, described West’s views as “Nazism.”

West himself had offered to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK, writing: “I know words aren’t enough. I’ll have to show change through my actions.” That conversation, it seems, will have to happen somewhere else.

For the thousands of fans who had already bought tickets — many of whom had booked flights and hotels — the cancellation is a bitter blow, even if the decision was, for many, the only right one.