Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Kanye West “should never have been invited to headline Wireless”, backing the Home Office decision to withdraw the rapper’s UK entry authorisation and cancel the festival outright.
Starmer posted on Twitter at 2:57pm on Tuesday, less than an hour after Festival Republic confirmed Wireless Festival 2026 had been cancelled. “This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism,” he wrote. “We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.”
The Prime Minister had described the original booking as “deeply concerning” when it was announced last month. His latest statement goes further, placing the government’s position on record in the clearest terms yet.
The Home Office earlier withdrew Ye’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, denying him entry into the United Kingdom and bringing the festival’s troubled ten-day saga to a close. Festival Republic confirmed the cancellation in a statement issued at 2:15pm, saying refunds would be issued to all ticket holders.
In that statement, Festival Republic said multiple stakeholders had been consulted before the booking was made and that no concerns had been raised at the time. “Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had,” the statement read. “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.”
Ye had earlier on Tuesday issued an updated version of his open letter “To Those I’ve Hurt,” originally published as a full-page Wall Street Journal advertisement in January, adding a direct appeal to UK Jewish community leaders and offering to meet them in person. The gesture was not enough to prevent the government acting on the growing political and public pressure.
The booking had prompted sponsors including Pepsi, Diageo, Rockstar Energy and PayPal to withdraw from the event in the days following the announcement. The Board of Deputies of British Jews had called on Wireless to “rescind an invitation they never should have offered,” while the Jewish Leadership Council described the booking as “deeply irresponsible.”
Wireless Festival has taken place annually at Finsbury Park since 2012. Ticket holders are advised to await confirmation of the refund process from their point of purchase.
Image credits: Number 10 / CC BY-ND-NC 2.0
In this article: Wireless Festival, Festival Republic, Yemen, Kanye West, Keir Starmer, Home Office, Finsbury Park tube station, London, Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jewish Leadership Council, PepsiCo, Diageo, Rockstar, PayPal, The Wall Street Journal, United Kingdom, Twitter. Generated by Wikidata Schema Link Builder.
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