Organisers of the Wireless Music Festival have announced the cancellation of this year’s event following the UK government’s decision to bar American rapper Kanye West from entering the country.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday, the organisers said the decision left them with no choice.
“As a result of the Home Office banning YE from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel,” the statement read.
They added that all ticket holders would receive automatic refunds.
West had been scheduled to headline all three nights of the festival at Finsbury Park in London this July as part of his European comeback tour.
The cancellation follows sustained criticism from political leaders and advocacy groups over the rapper’s past antisemitic remarks and actions, including expressions of admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier described West’s booking as “deeply concerning,” while Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was “appalled” by the decision to invite him.
“Kanye West has no business headlining the Wireless Festival,” Streeting said, adding that organisers showed “a terrible error of judgement.”
West’s controversies in recent years have included a Super Bowl advert promoting a website selling a swastika-themed T-shirt, as well as the release of a song titled Heil Hitler in 2025, which was later banned on several platforms.
He later released a revised version of the song titled Hallelujah, removing references to Nazism and stating he was “done with antisemitism.”
In January, the rapper published a full-page apology in The Wall Street Journal, attributing his past behaviour to bipolar disorder.
Despite the ban, West recently offered to engage with the Jewish community in the UK.
“I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen… I’ve had to show change through my actions,” he said.
West has also faced backlash from corporate partners, including the termination of his partnership with Adidas in 2022 over antisemitic posts.
The festival’s cancellation marks a dramatic fallout from the controversy, bringing an abrupt end to what had been billed as a major summer music event in London.