The UK government has denied Kanye West permission to enter the country after he was announced as a headliner for Wireless Festival in July. The Home Office confirmed that West had applied via an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) but was refused because his 'presence would not be conducive to the public good'. The decision follows backlash from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who called the booking 'deeply concerning', and four sponsors who pulled out.
West, 48, had been set to perform at the London rap and hip-hop festival for the first time since 2016. He has faced criticism for homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks, dressing as the KKK, and writing a song dedicated to Hitler. Earlier this year, he attributed his behaviour to bipolar disorder and apologised, stating he was 'not a Nazi or an antisemite'. However, the Conservative Party urged the government to refuse him a visa, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp saying his actions were 'not a one-off lapse, but a pattern of behaviour'.
West is not the first celebrity banned from the UK. In 2010, Chris Brown was denied entry after assaulting Rihanna, forcing him to postpone a UK tour. The ban was lifted in 2020, and he later performed at Wireless Festival in 2022. Snoop Dogg was banned in 2006 after a violent altercation at Heathrow Airport that injured seven police officers; his ban was overturned two years later. Mike Tyson was refused entry in 2013 due to his 1992 rape conviction, while Martha Stewart was denied a visa in 2008 after serving five months in prison for fraud. Tyler, the Creator was banned in 2015 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May over homophobic and violent lyrics.
