Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates
Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West’s UK festival appearances
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has expressed alarm over Kanye West’s upcoming role as the headliner for the Wireless Festival in London this summer. The American rapper, now known as Ye, has faced significant backlash for his antisemitic remarks in recent years, including a public apology in January. His involvement in the three-day rap and R&B event in north London was announced earlier this week, prompting Starmer to comment that the decision is “deeply concerning.”
“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears,” Starmer said in remarks initially reported by the Sun on Sunday. “Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey echoed similar sentiments on Thursday, suggesting the government should prohibit West from entering the UK. He emphasized the need for stronger measures against antisemitism, calling the rapper’s planned appearance “extremely serious.”
BBC News understands the Home Office has not yet received an application for West’s UK entry. The rapper was previously barred from Australia after releasing a track titled “Heil Hitler,” which praised the Nazi leader. In 2022, his X account was suspended multiple times for violating platform rules, including posts that merged a swastika with the Star of David and claimed he would target Jewish people “death con 3.”
Earlier this year, West wore a “white lives matter” T-shirt during Paris fashion week, prompting Adidas to sever ties with him. He later retracted an earlier apology for his antisemitic comments, asserting that his mental health condition caused him to “lose touch with reality” during manic episodes. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state,” he stated.
West’s most recent public apology came in January, when he published a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal. There, he claimed to no longer identify as a Nazi or antisemite. In November 2025, he met with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto and reportedly acknowledged his past remarks.
Wireless Festival, scheduled for 10–12 July, has highlighted the event as a “three-night journey through his most iconic records.” Meanwhile, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the largest Jewish representative body in the UK, urged BBC Newsnight to block West’s entry. A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan noted that the festival organizers, not City Hall, made the decision to invite the artist.
Festival Republic, the organizers behind Wireless, has been approached for further comment. West has not performed in the UK since 2015, when he headlined Glastonbury, and three tracks from his March-released album Bully are currently in the UK’s top 100 singles chart.
