In this November 6, 2019 photo, Kanye West, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, appears at the WSJ. Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. EVAN AGOSTINI / EVAN AGOSTINI/INVISION/AP
The UK government on Tuesday, April 7, blocked US rapper Kanye West from visiting the country to headline a music festival due to his past antisemitic outbursts, forcing organizers to cancel the event.
The rapper had submitted an application to travel to Britain on Monday, but it was refused on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good, the BBC cited the Home Office as saying.
The organizers of the Wireless Festival in London, where West, now known as Ye, was booked to play all three nights in July, swiftly canceled the event. "As a result of the Home Office banning YE from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel," organizers said on Instagram. They added all ticket holders would receive "an automatic full refund." Tickets only went on sale on Tuesday.
As the row heated up earlier Tuesday, West had offered to meet members of the British Jewish community. The offer from the disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star followed a decision by drinks giants Pepsi and Diageo to pull out of sponsoring the festival in the British capital.
