Kanye West has repeatedly attracted attention with anti-Semitic abuse in the past.Image: keystone
After the announcement of US scandal rapper Kanye West’s appearances at a festival in London, there are calls for an entry ban for the musician in Great Britain.
The government could ban entry of any person who is not a citizen and whose presence would not be conducive to the public good, wrote the activist group Campaign Against Antisemitism on Platform X. In West’s case this is a “clear case.”
The 48-year-old rapper, who now goes by the name Ye and performed in Los Angeles last week, was repeatedly noticed with racist and anti-Semitic comments. He is scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park on the evenings this summer (July 10-12). Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the plan as “deeply worrying”.
The Wireless Festival in London has been running since 2005 and attracts 60,000 people over three days.Image: www.imago-images.de
West released a song called “Heil Hitler” last year. At the beginning of 2026 he asked for an apology in the “Wall Street Journal”. “I am neither a Nazi nor an anti-Semite,” wrote Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband, attributing his previous statements to bipolar disorder.
Labor MPs: Do not allow entry
Starmer’s party colleague Rachael Maskell, who sits in Parliament for the York Central constituency, told the BBC: “We cannot allow these artists to have a platform.” West should not be allowed to enter the UK because of his anti-Semitic comments. Starmer said everyone had a responsibility “to ensure that Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and protected.”
The organizers of the festival have not yet commented. According to consistent media reports, two sponsors, including the beverage brand Pepsi, have already withdrawn. (sda/dpa)
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Video: watson/Lucas Zollinger