The Wireless Festival 2026 has been called off, with ticket buyers set to receive their money back after Kanye West was prevented from setting foot in Britain.

The US hip-hop artist, aged 48, had been confirmed as a headliner at the London music event scheduled for July, but the Home Office announced on Tuesday, April 7 that his travel application had been rejected.

West, who also performs under the name Ye, has faced severe backlash due to numerous antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi statements he has made in recent years.

According to the Home Office, the refusal was issued because his presence would not be in the public interest.

Festival Republic, the company behind Wireless, has now scrapped the entire festival and confirmed that all ticket holders will receive refunds.

In their announcement, they explained that the Home Office had cancelled Ye’s electronic travel authorisation, which meant he could not enter the United Kingdom. As a consequence, Wireless Festival was cancelled and refunds would be processed for everyone who had bought tickets. They stated that multiple parties had been consulted before booking Ye, and no objections had been raised at the time. They emphasised that antisemitism in any form is completely unacceptable and acknowledged the genuine harm these issues have caused. They noted that Ye himself had acknowledged that words alone would not suffice, and despite everything, he still hoped to have the chance to start a dialogue with British Jewish people.

Why is Kanye West so controversial?

West has faced intense criticism in recent years after expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and making numerous antisemitic statements.

Last year, he put out a track titled Heil Hitler, just months after listing a swastika-design t-shirt for sale on his own website.

Back in January, he took the unusual step of publishing a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal to say sorry for his actions and behaviour.

He claimed his remarks were brought on by bipolar-1 disorder, which he said resulted from brain injuries he sustained in a serious car crash.

Earlier on Tuesday, West had indicated he would appreciate the chance to meet members of Britain’s Jewish community following the backlash over his Wireless booking.

In his own statement, he indicated that words alone would not be enough and that he would need to demonstrate change through his actions. He stated that if people were willing to listen, he was ready to talk.

Festival Republic’s managing director, Melvin Benn, concurred that West’s previous conduct was completely unacceptable and disgusting.

However, he drew attention to the possible role that the performer’s mental health may have played and appealed for compassion.

Benn pointed out that mental health issues do not simply vanish overnight. He explained that individuals can experience psychotic or bipolar episodes for extended periods, and suggested that this reality was being overlooked by some critics.