Kanye West UK Shows Spark Concern from Starmer
Keir Starmer raises alarm over Kanye West’s UK shows, citing antisemitism concerns as backlash grows over Wireless Festival.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has stated that it is "deeply concerning" that Kanye West is set to headline the Wireless Festival in London this summer.
West, now known as 'Ye', has made antisemitic remarks in recent years, for which he has faced widespread criticism; he had even apologized for these comments in January.
The American rapper (48) was announced earlier this week as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival, which is scheduled to take place in North London.
Sir Keir noted that West has been booked for the event "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and glorification of Nazism."
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Sir Keir said, "Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be robustly challenged wherever it appears."
"It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK; he argued that "we need to get much tougher on antisemitism" and described West's proposed appearance as "extremely serious."
Last year, West was barred from entering Australia after releasing a song titled "Heil Hitler," in which he glorified the Nazi leader.
Earlier this year, he also declared himself a Nazi and retracted the apology he had previously offered for his antisemitic remarks; additionally, he sold T-shirts featuring swastika symbols on his clothing website. In November 2025, West held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, during which he reportedly apologized for his past antisemitic remarks.
In January, West published a full-page advertisement in *The Wall Street Journal* in which he apologized for his antisemitic behavior.
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He wrote, "I am neither a Nazi nor an antisemite." He stated that bipolar disorder means that when "you are in a state of mania, you do not realize that you are ill," and that during that time, he had "lost touch with reality."
He further added, "I deeply regret the actions I took while in that mental state, and I am extremely ashamed of them."
In 2022, West's 'X' (formerly Twitter) account was suspended multiple times because he posted content that violated the platform's rules. This occurred after he posted several offensive tweets—including an image featuring a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David—and stated that he would go "Death Con 3" on Jewish people.
That same year, he faced significant criticism for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "White Lives Matter" during Paris Fashion Week.
As a result of these actions, the renowned apparel brand Adidas severed its ties with the rapper. At the time, Adidas stated that it has "zero tolerance for antisemitism or any form of hate speech."
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He has not performed in the UK since 2015, when he headlined the Glastonbury Festival. Three songs from his new album, 'Bully'—released in March—have made it onto the UK Top 100 Singles Chart.
Wireless has described the event, scheduled to run from July 10 to 12, as "a three-night experience taking you on a journey through his most famous songs."
Earlier this week, the head of the UK's largest Jewish organization—the Board of Deputies of British Jews—stated that West should be barred from entering the country.
A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: "Our stance is crystal clear: this artist's past comments and actions are offensive and wrong, and they in no way reflect London's values. This decision was made by the festival organizers; City Hall played no role in it."
Wireless organizers—Festival Republic—have been contacted for their comments on the matter.
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