Wireless Festival 2026 cancelled after UK bars entry to Kanye West over anti-semitic remarks

Wireless Festival 2026 scrapped after UK blocks Kanye West over antisemitism

Last updated:
Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor
Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2020.
Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2020.
AP

Dubai: After headliner Kanye West was denied entry into the UK to headline Wireless Festival, organisers have now announced that its 2026 event will be cancelled.

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According to The Independent, the cancellation comes following the controversy around the rapper's ouster. The American rapper was set to perform at the three-night festival in July, however the Home Office stopped him on the grounds that his presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”.

Last year, the controversial singer made a series of antisemitic statements and even released a song called “Heil Hitler” and made T-shirts featuring a swastika available for sale on his website.

A spokesperson from the festival said in a statement on Tuesday 7 April: “The Home Office has withdrawn YE's ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders.

Manjusha Radhakrishnan
Manjusha RadhakrishnanEntertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor
Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema. Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman. From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.
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