Wireless Festival cancelled after Kanye West blocked from coming to UK

 

Reuters

This summer's Wireless Festival has been cancelled after headliner Kanye West was blocked from coming to the UK.

After opposition to his planned performance at the London festival this summer, the government denied West, now known as Ye, permission to travel to the UK. For the last several years, West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments.

 "The Home Office has withdrawn Ye's ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom," Wireless Festival stated in a statement. As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders."

READ MORE: Kanye West controversies - how did we get here?

 It continued: "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 recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had.  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."

 Controversies involving Kanye West: how did we get here? Tickets for Wireless Festival's presale, which opened at noon on Tuesday and is believed to have sold out, were scheduled to go on sale at noon on Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Home Office told the BBC the rapper made an application to travel to the UK on Monday via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

 It stated that the reason for denying permission was that his presence would be detrimental to the public good. For short-term stays of up to six months or if they do not already have an immigration status in the UK, visitors need an ETA. Responding to the cancellation of Wireless and the festival's latest statement, a spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "With no headliner and multiple sponsors dropping out, Wireless has had to cancel the festival.

 "How did it come to this?  Apparently 'no concerns were highlighted' about Kanye West at the time of the booking.  Who were they talking to? A wall?  When the only stakeholders you speak with are those who stand to profit, that's what happens. "It's nice that now Wireless is saying 'Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent,' while the festival promoter was saying we all need to forgive Kanye for declaring himself a full-blown Nazi only recently," the group added. In response to the controversy surrounding his booking, the rapper stated earlier on Tuesday that he "would be grateful" to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK. In a statement, West said he had been "following the conversation around Wireless", and offered to meet representatives of the community in person "to listen".

"I know words aren't enough," added the star, who has a history of making antisemitic comments.  "I'll have to show change through my actions.  I'm here if you're open." After the concerts were announced, Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, the company behind Wireless, stated that attempts were made to contact Jewish organizations, but "they have refused a meeting." He stated that the strategy had been developed over the past few days. In response, a Board of Deputies spokesperson told the BBC: "Neither the Board of Deputies nor, we understand, the Jewish Leadership Council has refused any request to meet with the Wireless festival organisers.

 "We responded positively when the Board of Deputies received a letter from Melvin Benn on April 6 proposing to meet, in response to a letter we sent out expressing our concerns." The board said that, regardless of any meeting, they had been clear that the invitation for West to be perform "should be rescinded".

West last performed in the UK at Glastonbury in 2015 (Image: Getty Images)

West and Festival Republic, which also manages major UK festivals like Reading and Leeds, no longer have to make that choice. Benn had hinted that West's appearance may be in jeopardy when speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday morning.

"It may be that the home secretary does rescind his visa... if she does, the issue is over," he told the Today programme.

 Benn, a prominent figure in the UK music industry and event promoter, concurred that West's previous actions were "abhorrent" and "disgusting." However, the promoter expressed concern and emphasized the star's possible mental health status. "Mental health is not something that disappears overnight," Benn said.

 "People suffer from psychotic and bipolar disorders for a very long time... And I think people are forgetting that."

 Jewish groups, on the other hand, criticized Benn's support for the star. The Community Security Trust (CST), which aims to protect British Jews from antisemitism described the government's decision to stop West travelling to the UK as "a sensible outcome to what has been yet another bruising episode for British Jews".

 The statement continued, "cultural leaders have a role to play in ensuring that anti-Jewish hatred has no place in society."

"People who show genuine and meaningful remorse for previous antisemitic behaviour will always receive a sympathetic hearing from the Jewish community, but that process must come before this kind of public rehabilitation."

'Mealy-mouthed'

"Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless," Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated after the cancellation was announced on Tuesday. "We will not stop our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism. This government stands firmly with the Jewish community." "We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values."

 Similar sentiments were expressed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting earlier, who described West's apology as "mealy-mouthed and self-serving" and accused Wireless of providing the rapper with a "fig leaf of credibility." "If he wants forgiveness, it's not my forgiveness he needs," Streeting told Radio 4.  "It's the forgiveness of the Jewish communities and I don't think he's done anything to earn it."

 Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, stated that West was "guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments" and urged Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, to make use of her authority under the Immigration Act to deny him a visa. Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, had also called for West to be barred from entering the UK, and Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK, stated, "Personally, I wouldn't buy a ticket."

'Totally disgusting'

Meanwhile, fans and detractors have been getting in touch with the BBC to voice their views.

 One fan, Courtney, said: "I bought my ticket in the PayPal pre-sale three or four days ago.  I had looked into flights and lodging, but my friend just bought her ticket this morning. She has been a big Kanye West fan since she was about 13. "I was extremely dissatisfied. When it comes to free speech, everything that is going on in the UK at the moment is completely absurd." Daniel, another, said that he was "a very self-aware fan." "I am aware that what he has said is definitely not acceptable, but I believe that people should vote with their money and should not purchase tickets if they disagree with what he has said.

"The government stepping in... completely breaks the fact that people should be able to vote with their money."

 But Rosie told the BBC: "I didn't realise some of the things he's said were as bad as they were until right now.  I might have had a different opinion of it if I had known how extensive it was before I booked it. "From a selfish point of view, I feel more resentment towards him as an artist.  It's inexcusable now really.  "

 Chris wrote that the decision to invite West to headline was "totally disgusting".

 He made the observation that "[West] has previously reneged on that apology for similar behavior in the past." "In addition, the fact that this "apology" coincides with the fact that he has recently released a new album appears to be more than a coincidence. "We have a big enough problem with extremist views already in this country, without potentially adding fuel to the fire."

Source: BBC