The UK government is reviewing whether Kanye West should be allowed to enter the UK after a planned appearance by the US rapper at a London festival prompted criticism over his prior antisemitic comments.
The star, now known as Ye, released a song called Heil Hitler and sold swastika T-shirts last year. He later apologised and blamed his bipolar disorder’s episodes of manic behaviour.
Brands have withdrawn their sponsorships of Wireless Festival, and critics are calling on its organisers to cancel his appearance and for his visa to be denied.
Ministers have the power to ban foreign nationals from the UK if their presence is not considered “conducive to the public good”.
It is understood that ministers are considering West’s permission to enter the UK. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer earlier called the prospect of him headlining the festival “deeply concerning”.
The rapper has already been refused entry to Australia, which cancelled his visa after he released Heil Hitler last May.
The Conservative Party urged the government to refuse West a visa because “allowing someone with his track record to headline a major public event sends the wrong message entirely.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said West’s past antisemitic actions were “not a one-off lapse, but a pattern of behaviour that has caused real offence and distress to Jewish communities”.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said West’s past comments were “completely unacceptable and absolutely disgusting” and that the rapper should not appear at the festival.
“There is no place for that kind of hatred, bigotry or antisemitism from him or from anyone else,” she said, though she declined to comment on whether the government would block his visa.
Michael Weiger, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the UK should refuse West entry.
“We think that would be a very appropriate step were the home secretary to find a way to not allow him into the country,” he said.
The Board of Deputies accused Wireless Festival, its parent company Festival Republic and managing director Melvin Benn of “profiteering from racism”.
Festival Republic and Benn have not responded to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Stephen Silverman from the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) called the booking “astonishing”.
“It’s great that sponsors are now doing the right thing and withdrawing their support, but how it could have conceivably been considered the right thing to do to headline an artist who, less than a year ago, released a music video for a song called Heil Hitler?” he told BBC Radio 5Live.
Another sponsor pulls out
West is due to headline all three nights of Wireless, which is expected to attract 50,000 people per day, in Finsbury Park from 10-12 July.
A pre-sale is due to begin on Tuesday, before tickets go on general sale on Wednesday.
However, the event hangs in the balance as several sponsors pulled their support.
Rockstar Energy became the latest brand to withdraw its sponsorship of the event on Monday. The energy drink brand is owned by the same parent company as Pepsi, which pulled out on Sunday.
Fellow drinks giant Diageo has removed its support “as it stands”, while PayPal will no longer allow its branding to be used on promotional material for the festival.
British mineral water company Drip has clarified that it is not involved at all with this year’s festival.
Matt Dodds, one of the company’s co-founders, told the BBC that it “agreed several weeks ago that it would not be participating in this year’s event, prior to the recent announcements”.
Also on Monday, the leader of Haringey Council, which manages the festival’s Finsbury Park venue, said she was “deeply disappointed by the decision to book an artist whose comments are at odds with our values in Haringey, particularly given the concerns raised within our large Jewish community”.
Councillor Peray Ahmet said the council could not dictate who performed but would work “to ensure public safety and make clear the serious concerns expressed by local residents”.
The Mayor of London’s office is understood to have previously refused to let West perform at the London Stadium, which is owned by Greater London Authority.
The request was turned down because of likely community concerns and reputational risk to London, it is understood.
The Sun reported that Tottenham Hotspur FC also refused to let West perform at their north London stadium.
West apology
West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments in recent years.
These include posting an image appearing to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David and saying he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people”. He also sold swastika T-shirts last year.
This January, the rapper apologised in a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, writing: “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite.”
He said bipolar disorder meant when “you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick” and that he had “lost touch with reality”.
“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state,” he added.
