It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting told LBC that Wireless boss Melvin Benn had picked ‘money over morals’
Wireless Festival has been cancelled after headline act Kanye West was blocked from entering the UK after a row erupted over his anti-Semitic comments.
The planned performance by the rapper, now known as Ye, at Wireless this summer had provoked calls for him to be banned from the UK because of behaviour, which has included releasing a song called Heil Hitler and advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.
Now, the Home Office has confirmed the rapper will not be allowed to perform in London this summer, with his presence in the UK deemed “not conducive to the public good.”
Shortly after the Home Office decision, Wireless and its under-fire organiser Melvin Benn confirmed the festival would not go ahead and that anyone who had bought tickets would be given a refund.
A statement from organisers, Festival Republic, read: “The Home Office has withdrawn YE’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders.
“As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.
“Anti-Semitism 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.”
It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting told LBC that Wireless boss Melvin Benn had picked “money over morals” as he slammed the decision to allow West to perform.
As tickets for the three Finsbury Park concerts went on sale on Monday, West said in a statement: “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly.
“My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music.
“I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen.
“I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions.
“If you’re open, I’m here.”
However, the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) rejected his offer, stating it would not meet with West to “help save” the festival.
Speaking after the ban was announced, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.
“This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The Government has clearly made the right decision here. For once, when it said that antisemitism has no place in the UK, it backed up its words with action.
“Someone who has boasted of making tens of millions of dollars from selling swastika t-shirts and who released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’ just months ago clearly would not be conducive to the public good in the UK.
“Wireless Festival, in its desperate quest for profit, defended the invitation until the end. That is shameful, and its sponsors should continue to stay away.”
Speaking before the ban was announced Mr Benn said West deserved forgiveness and appeared to blame the musician’s mental health for his anti-Semitic comments.
But Sir Keir’s spokesman responded: “This is less about second chances. It is more about first principles of abhorrence of anti-Semitic statements.”
Karen Pollock, CEO of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “This is the right decision, but it’s a sorry state of affairs when the Government has to intervene because Wireless doubled down on their decision to knowingly book a racist.
“Kanye West sold merchandise with swastikas, had a song called Heil Hitler and called for ‘death con 3′ of Jews. He might have apologised but that does not give him the automatic right to headline a major festival.
“In an age when Jewish communities are facing regular acts of violence, this whole debate sadly shows how normalised antisemitism has become.
“No other community would be told to ‘forgive’ or ‘talk’ – the disgusting racism would be recognised for what it is.
“Our focus now must be on stamping out anti-Jewish hatred once and for all.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has said “the situation could and should have been resolved much earlier” after Wireless Festival was cancelled following Kanye West being blocked from entering the UK.
Phil Rosenberg, the president of the board, said: “It is deeply regrettable that Wireless Festival invited him in the first place and then doubled down when the Jewish community and our allies objected.
“We note that the festival has now been cancelled but it should never have reached this point. The situation could and should have been resolved much earlier.
“We hope that lessons are learned across the industry. Music festivals should be places where all communities feel welcome, not venues that platform individuals with records of profiteering from antisemitism, racism and other repulsive views.
“We are immensely grateful for the support of those across the political spectrum and from other minority and faith communities. It should not be for the Jewish community alone to advocate for our safety; it is incumbent on the entire arts and culture sector, and civil society as a whole, to recognise the scourge of antisemitism and heed the concerns of Jews when problematic acts are booked.”
Mr Rosenberg also welcomed the Government’s announcement that West will be banned from entering the country.
“We welcome the Government listening to the concerns of Jews in the UK and preventing Kanye West from entering the country,” he said.
Can I get my money back for Wireless Festival?
Refunds will be issued to all ticket holders, Wireless has said.
By Henry Moore
