London’s Wireless Festival is off. On Tuesday (April 7), the U.K. Home Office barred Ye from entering the country, ending a week of backlash over his booking as headliner of all three nights of the 2026 festival, according to The FADER.
His Electronic Travel Authorization, the visa alternative, had initially been approved online before it was rescinded “on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good,” per the BBC. Reports say Tuesday’s presale had sold out ahead of the planned general sale, and all passes will now be refunded.
How it unraveled
The criticism centered on Ye’s past antisemitic remarks. By Sunday (April 5), Pepsi, the festival’s main sponsor since 2015, had withdrawn, and Diageo and Rockstar Energy followed; PayPal pulled its branding as well, XXL reported. “We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival,” the company said in a statement.
Read moreThe 2027 Festival Circuit Is Already Taking Shape, and the Same Names Keep Showing Up
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told The Sun it was “deeply concerning” that the rapper had been booked, and Tory MP Chris Philp and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for him to be banned from England, Pitchfork reported. Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office said the booking was a decision for the organizers and “not one that City Hall is involved in,” while adding that Ye’s past comments “are simply not reflective of London’s values.”
Organizer Melvin Benn initially dug in. “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world,” he wrote in a statement on Monday. After the ban, a Wireless statement to The Guardian said that “multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Ye and no concerns were highlighted at the time,” adding that “antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent.” Benn has said Pepsi approved Ye as headliner before withdrawing.
What Ye said
Wireless shared a statement from Ye with Complex. “My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change,” he said. He added that he’d welcome meeting members of the UK’s Jewish community in person, “to listen.”
I know words aren't enough. I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here.
Ye, Complex, via The FADER
The context
The booking came as Ye was in the middle of a comeback push. He released his 12th studio album, Bully, in March and has been playing big arena shows with guests including Lauryn Hill. In January, he took out a full-page Wall Street Journal ad apologizing for his behavior, in which he wrote, “I love Jewish people,” and attributed his conduct to bipolar disorder.
For Wireless, the immediate question is how it recovers its summer lineup and its sponsors. The FADER has reached out to Ye’s distributor, gamma, for comment. Ye’s comeback tour kept going without it, and later in the year his Chicago homecoming at Soldier Field brought out Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Future.
- Announced
- Ye as headliner of all three nights, Wireless 2026 (London)
- Sponsors out
- Pepsi, Diageo, Rockstar Energy; PayPal withdrew its branding
- Outcome
- Home Office rescinded his travel authorization on April 7; passes refunded
Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.
