Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates
Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has voiced worries about Kanye West’s upcoming performance at the Wireless Festival in London this summer. The rapper, now known as Ye, has faced criticism for his past antisemitic statements, which he acknowledged in January. Starmer stated that West’s booking for the event, reported by the Sun on Sunday, was done ‘despite his earlier antisemitic remarks and promotion of Nazism.’
Pepsi Withdraws Support
The festival’s main sponsor, Pepsi, has confirmed it will ‘remove its sponsorship’ of the three-day event. Starmer emphasized that ‘antisemitism in any form is unacceptable and must be addressed firmly wherever it occurs.’ He added that ‘every individual has a duty to ensure Britain remains a safe space for Jewish communities.’
Kanye West, 48, was announced as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival in north London earlier this week. The event, branded as ‘Pepsi presents Wireless,’ has been described as a ‘three-night journey through his most iconic records’ by the organizers. As of Sunday lunchtime, the festival’s website still listed Pepsi MAX as a ‘long-standing partner’ of the event.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for West to be barred from entering the UK, stating that ‘we need to take a stronger stance against antisemitism.’ He referred to the planned appearance as ‘extremely serious.’ BBC News understands the Home Office has not yet received a visa application from West. Last year, he was denied entry to Australia after releasing a track titled ‘Heil Hitler,’ which praised the Nazi leader.
West also declared himself a Nazi earlier this year, retracting a prior apology for his antisemitic comments. He sold T-shirts with swastikas on his clothing site and faced backlash for wearing a ‘white lives matter’ shirt at Paris fashion week. Adidas severed ties with him, stating it ‘does not tolerate antisemitism or hate speech.’ The rapper has not performed in the UK since 2015, when he headlined Glastonbury.
Three tracks from West’s latest album, Bully, released in March, are currently in the UK’s top 100 singles chart. In November 2025, he met with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, where he reportedly apologized for his previous antisemitic comments. He later published a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal in January, stating,
‘I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state.’
West’s X account was suspended multiple times in 2022 for violating platform rules with offensive posts. These included a graphic merging a swastika with the Star of David and a statement claiming he would ‘go death con 3 on Jewish people.’ The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the UK’s leading Jewish representation group, urged BBC Newsnight to block West’s entry. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan’s spokesperson noted that the decision ‘was made by the festival organizers and not involved City Hall,’ stressing that West’s past actions are ‘offensive and wrong.’
Festival Republic, the organizers of Wireless, have yet to comment on the matter. Despite his recent apologies, West’s history of controversial remarks continues to draw attention and debate.