WARNING: This article contains references to antisemitic language.
London music festival organizers have axed the upcoming three-day event following the exclusion of rapper Ye, previously known as Kanye West, from the U.K. due to outcry over his history of antisemitic comments.
The festival’s management, as per their announcement on their official website, disclosed that Ye’s entry into the country had been denied, leading to the cancellation of the festival.
According to the Home Office, Ye applied for entry on Monday through an Electronic Travel Authorization but was refused entry on the grounds that his presence would not serve the public interest.
Kanye West’s antisemitic outburst in conjunction with a surge in hate crimes has prompted the Jewish community to engage in challenging dialogues within and beyond the synagogue.
Ye was set to headline for an audience of approximately 150,000 from July 10 to 12 in London’s Finsbury Park. Ticket holders will be reimbursed, as confirmed by the organizers.
Prior to the cancellation, the festival organizers faced increasing pressure from sponsors and political figures to drop Ye from the lineup due to his track record of making antisemitic statements and expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
Ye had previously released a song named Heil Hitler, and briefly sold shirts featuring a swastika before Shopify removed his merchandise site.
He has also been known to deny the occurrence of the Holocaust, defend Nazis, and share an image of a swastika within a Star of David. Additionally, he has made racially insensitive remarks, such as implying that slavery was a choice and sporting a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt at Paris Fashion Week in 2022.
In January, Ye took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to express regret for his past antisemitic remarks, attributing his behavior to a car accident 25 years ago that left him with severe injuries and contributed to his bipolar disorder.