Kanye West is headlining all three nights of London’s Wireless Festival in July, and the UK’s political establishment is losing it over his history of Nazi glorification and antisemitic rhetoric.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun on Sunday that the booking is “deeply concerning” given West’s previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism, emphasizing that “antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears.”
The 48-year-old rapper will perform to 150,000 people across July 10-12 at Finsbury Park in North London, marking his first UK concert since headlining Glastonbury in 2015.
But his return to British stages comes loaded with controversy. Kanye West released a track called “Heil Hitler” last May on Victory in Europe Day, complete with pro-Hitler lyrics and speech samples.
He’s also sold s####### merchandise and been photographed wearing KKK-style robes. He was banned from social media four years ago after threatening to kill Jewish people. Jewish organizations across Britain are united in opposition.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, called the decision “absolutely the wrong decision” and urged the government to ban West from entering the country. Karen P###### from the Holocaust Educational Trust said the booking “is causing distress to Britain’s Jewish community.”
The Jewish Leadership Council branded it “deeply irresponsible,” pointing out that West sold s####### T-shirts and “Heil Hitler” merchandise after a previous apology.
Major sponsors, including Pepsi and Diageo, have already pulled their support from the festival.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has the legal authority to block West’s entry if his presence is deemed “not conducive to the public good.”
Kanye West was already denied entry to Australia last year over his Hitler song. Labour MPs and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey have joined calls for a complete UK ban.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also condemned the booking, calling West’s past comments “offensive and wrong.”
West released a full-page apology in The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, claiming he loves Jewish people and blaming his bipolar disorder for his “poor judgment and reckless behavior.”
The backlash reflects heightened tensions in Britain’s Jewish community, with antisemitic violence reaching record levels last year, including a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue in October and arson attacks on Jewish ambulances in North London last month.