The rapper was banned from the country amid a deepening political dispute over his previous antisemitic statements.

Wireless Festival canceled as Ye is blocked from entering U.K.

The rapper was banned from the country amid a deepening political dispute over his previous antisemitic statements.

By Leigh Blickley

April 7, 2026 10:50 a.m. ET

Kanye West. Credit:

Brad Barket/Getty

Kanye West, or Ye as he is now known, has been banned from entering the United Kingdom, in London this summer.

"As a result of the Home Office banning YE from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel. All ticket holders will receive an automatic full refund," the festival shared on its website Tuesday.

Ye, who was set to headline Wireless, made an application to travel to the U.K. via an Electronic Travel Authorization on Monday, but the request was blocked by officials amid growing tension concerning his antisemitic and racist comments.

Reportedly, his application was initially approved online but rescinded after review, on the grounds that his presence in the country would not be conducive to the public good, according to *The Guardian*. Ye has been attempting to rehabilitate his reputation after years of controversy.

"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," a spokesperson for Wireless said in a statement to **.

Ye released his own statement to the BBC, saying he "would be grateful" to meet members of the Jewish community in the U.K. — despite causing outrage for pro-Nazi comments in recent years. Last year, he called Adolf Hitler "fresh" on social media and later had his website shut down for selling swastika-covered shirts. In May 2025, he released the song "Heil Hitler," which was "banned by all digital streaming platforms."

"My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music," he shared.

EW has reached out to reps for Ye for further comment.

Kanye West performs on Sept. 15, 2024 in China.

Luo Yunfei/Getty

Wireless added of Ye's intentions, "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 U.K."

Since naming the controversial rapper as the event's headlining performer last month, the London music festival has been at the center of a media firestorm. Pepsi — who partnered with the festival for over a decade — ended its long-standing support by withdrawing from the event. Three more sponsors also pulled out: PayPal, alcoholic beverage giant Diageo, and AB InBev, the brewer behind such brands as Budweiser and Corona.

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Defending Ye on Monday, Melvin Benn, the managing director of Wireless Festival's parent company Festival Republic, told ** in a statement that the rapper "has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country."

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Benn continued, "He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions."

The statement concluded, "Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do."

West is playing a limited number of shows for his 2026 Ye World Tour in support of his latest album, *Bully*. Despite the backlash to his comeback, his concerts on April 1 and April 3 both sold out, with fans filling the 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The performances featured a parade of Ye's past collaborators and pals, including Travis Scott, CeeLo Green, Lauryn Hill, and his daughter, North West.

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