Kanye West has been barred from entering the U.K. ahead of his planned headline appearance at Wireless Festival.
The controversial rapper submitted an application to travel to the U.K. via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) on Monday, the Home Office confirmed to the BBC.
However, permission was refused on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
The decision follows ongoing controversy surrounding Kanye, also known as Ye, who has faced widespread criticism for antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks made online since 2022. The backlash intensified last year when he began selling T-shirts featuring swastikas.
The Stronger rapper had been due to make his live comeback in the U.K. after more than a decade, with plans to headline all three nights of Wireless Festival at London’s Finsbury Park in July.
The booking sparked public outrage due to his past behaviour, with festival sponsors Pepsi, Diageo and PayPal subsequently cutting ties with this year’s event.
Following the backlash, Kanye offered to meet with members of the Jewish community in the U.K.
“I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly,” he wrote in a statement. “My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music.”
“I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen,” Ye continued. “I know words aren’t enough – I’ve have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
The statement comes months after the rapper took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal to apologise to both Jewish and Black communities for his controversial comments. In the piece, he attributed his past behaviour to his bipolar disorder diagnosis and a car accident 25 years ago, which he claimed affected his frontal lobe.
Wireless Festival would have marked his first U.K. performance in 11 years. His latest album, Bully, debuted at number three on the albums chart on Friday.
