Kanye West is banned from the United Kingdom, the country’s Home Office has announced. After weeks of heated debate about the rapper’s booking at Wireless Festival, the UK government told the BBC that Ye’s Electronic Travel Authorisation application had been refused, on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
The decision follows uproar over Wireless’ decision to book Ye despite his litany of antisemitic remarks and alignment with Nazism in recent years. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, called the booking “deeply concerning,” and several brands pulled out of sponsoring the festival.
Yesterday, Melvin Benn, the boss of Wireless parent Festival Republic, released a statement advocating for forgiveness of Ye. Earlier today, West had followed up on Benn’s comments with his own statement, released via Festival Republic, which adhered to the format and tone of his January apology in The Wall Street Journal, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt.” In the new statement, Ye wrote, “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 U.K. 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.”
Read Sam Goldner’s recent live review Kanye Wades Through the Fog at SoFi Stadium.
