Kanye West has ‘legal right to perform’ in UK, says Wireless promoter

The promoter of Wireless Festival said Kanye West has a “legal right to come into the country and to perform” following calls for him to be barred from entering the UK over antisemitism.

The rapper, who is also known as Ye, is set to top the bill for all three nights of the festival in London’s Finsbury Park in July.

Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the decision as “deeply concerning”, while major sponsors have withdrawn their support for the festival over the booking.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood now faces calls from politicians and the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) to ban West from coming to the UK, arguing his presence would not be “conducive to the public good”.

The Press Association understands that West’s permission to enter the UK is currently being reviewed by ministers.

Melvin Benn, managing director at Festival Republic which promotes Wireless Festival, described himself as a “deeply committed anti-fascist” and “person of forgiveness”.

In a statement, Mr Benn added: “What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the Prime Minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.

“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country.

“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.

“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.”

The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was “time for Wireless to do the decent thing and rescind an invitation they never should have offered”.

Responding to Mr Benn’s statement, Phil Rosenberg said: “After a week of Wireless Festival avoiding any media, this statement will not reassure many within the Jewish or other communities against whom Kanye West’s invective was directed over a much longer period than his more recent apology.

“The two key facts remain that Kanye West proclaimed himself a Nazi, and that Wireless stands to benefit financially from his performance.

“Indeed, we note that concern was Mr Benn’s initial reaction to the idea of inviting Kanye West. It remains ours.

“Kanye West may well be on the path to health and healing. We sincerely hope that he is. But the space to test this is not over three days on the Wireless main stage.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said West was “guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments” as he urged Ms Mahmood to use her powers under the Immigration Act to refuse him a visa.

He said: “She says she wants to fight antisemitism. We will now find out how serious she really is.”

In a post on X, the CAA said the Prime Minister had been right to express concern about Wireless’s decision to book West, but added Sir Keir was “not a bystander”.

They said: “The Government can ban anyone from entering the UK who is not a citizen and whose presence would ‘not be conducive to the public good’.

“Surely this is a clear case.”

Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell has also called for West to be banned, saying he “should not be allowed to come to our country to perform in the light of the antisemitic comments that he has made and recorded”.

Pepsi and Diageo withdrew their sponsorship of the festival after West was announced as the headline act and no brands appeared as visible sponsors on Wireless Festival’s official website on Monday evening.

An AB InBev spokesperson said, in regard to Budweiser and Beatbox: “We have decided to withdraw our sponsorship of this year’s Wireless Festival.”

Additionally PayPal, which is a payment partner for the annual rap and hip-hop festival, will not appear in any of its future promotional materials, the Press Association understands.

West, who has not performed in the UK since he headlined Glastonbury in 2015, has drawn widespread criticism in recent years after he began voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler, and has made a series of antisemitic remarks.

Last year, he released a song called Heil Hitler, a few months after advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.

The musician, also known as Ye, has been barred from X over antisemitism on multiple occasions.

It is understood that the Mayor of London’s office refused permission for the London Stadium, in Stratford, to stage a Kanye West concert this summer, with sources citing community concerns and the reputational impact on the city.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

The 48-year-old rapper’s scheduled appearance comes amid fears of growing antisemitism in the UK.

In March, four ambulances from a Jewish community-run service were set on fire in north-west London.

Two men and a 17-year-old boy were remanded in custody on Saturday after appearing in court accused of torching the vehicles.

In October last year, two men were killed in an attack on a Manchester synagogue.

Jewish community organisations have criticised the festival, with Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews calling it the “wrong decision” and called on the Government to consider barring him from entering the country.

In January, West took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal to apologise, titled: “To Those I’ve Hurt.”

“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” it said.

“I love Jewish people.”

In his letter, he said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life”.