The Wireless Festival event has been canceled after U.K. authorities refused entry to its planned headliner, Kanye West, also known as Ye, forcing organizers to call off the London event and issue refunds.
The decision followed a ruling by the Home Office, which confirmed to the BBC that West had applied for entry via an electronic travel authorization on Monday.
Officials said permission was denied because his presence would not be "conducive to the public good."
Organizers said the move left them with no viable option but to cancel.
"The Home Office has withdrawn Ye's ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom," Wireless Festival organizers said in a statement. "As a result, Wireless Festival is canceled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders."
They added: "As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Ye and no concerns were highlighted at the time. Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have had."
The cancellation comes after sustained criticism of West, who has faced backlash in recent years over antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi remarks.
Pressure had already begun to affect the festival commercially.
According to Variety, longtime presenting partner Pepsi withdrew from the event, followed by Diageo, Rockstar Energy and PayPal, all of which removed their branding.
Campaign groups were quick to respond.
A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism told the BBC that the festival's collapse was the result of losing both its headline act and key sponsors.
He questioned how the situation had escalated, pointing to the organizers' claim that no concerns were raised at the time of booking.
"How did it come to this? Apparently 'no concerns were highlighted' about Kanye West at the time of the booking. Who were they consulting? A wall?" he said, adding that this is what happens "when the only stakeholders you speak to are those who stand to make a profit."
The organization had earlier backed the government's move, describing the decision to block West from entering the U.K. as the "right decision."
West responded publicly on Tuesday, saying he had been "following the conversation around Wireless" and offering to meet members of the Jewish community in the U.K. "to listen."
"I know words aren't enough. I'll have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here," he said.
There has been disagreement over whether festival organizers engaged with community groups.
Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, said outreach efforts had been made, but "they have refused a meeting."
However, the Board of Deputies disputed claims that Jewish groups had declined to engage with organizers. A spokesperson told the BBC that neither they nor the Jewish Leadership Council had refused any request for talks.
"Neither the Board of Deputies nor, we understand, the Jewish Leadership Council has refused any request to meet with the Wireless Festival organizers," the spokesperson said.
They added that when Benn wrote on April 6 proposing a meeting, in response to concerns previously raised, the organization had responded positively.
The spokesperson reiterated their position on the booking, saying, "In any event we are clear that the invitation to Kanye West to perform should be rescinded."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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