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April 7 update: Following significant backlash, Kanye West’s headline shows at Wireless 2026 have been cancelled. All ticket-holders will be refunded.
On March 30 Ye – the artist formerly known as Kanye West – was announced as the headliner for all three nights of Wireless Festival 2026.
Today (April 7), however, the festival has been cancelled. Wireless’ organisers Festival Republic said that the Home Office has withdrawn Ye’s ETA, thereby denying him entry into the UK.
The shows would have marked Ye’s first UK performances in 11 years, following his controversial Glastonbury headline slot in 2015. He’s no stranger to Wireless, having headlined when he last appeared at the festival in 2014.
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Kanye West’s now-cancelled dates at Wireless 2026
The shows were scheduled for July 10, 11 and 12 2026.
Why was Kanye West’s appearance at Wireless 2026 controversial?
How long have you got? Ye declared himself a ‘Nazi’ on X last year and took back a public apology for his antisemitic rhetoric. He later announced that he was ‘not a Nazi’ – before trying to sell t-shirts with swastikas on them. In May 2025, he released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’.
Earlier this year, Ye took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to apologise for his behaviour. ‘I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,’ he wrote. ‘I love Jewish people.’
He added: ‘One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience. I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though.’
The announcement that Kanye West would be headlining Wireless faced widespread opposition. Everyone from the Board of Deputies of British Jews to the Prime Minister spoke out against the festival, with big-name advertisers pulling out.
A statement from Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn yesterday (April 6) defended the festival’s position, saying:
‘Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.’
The government withdrew Ye’s Electronic Travel Authorisation today (April 7).
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