The Wireless music festival has been cancelled after the artist formerly known as Kanye West was banned from entering the UK amid a deepening political row over his previous antisemitic statements.

West, who is legally known as Ye, made an application to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation on Monday but it has been blocked by officials.

A spokesperson for the festival confirmed it would no longer go ahead in July after the government decision was announced, and said refunds would be issued to those who had already bought tickets.

The statement read: “The Home Office has withdrawn Ye’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom.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.

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    arrow-down
    31
    ·
    1 day ago

    West, who is legally known as Ye, made an application to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation on Monday but it has been blocked by officials.

    Listen, he’s a loser and a POS. I don’t particularly like the guy. All is current music sucks.

    But this whole UK fascist turn wrt to Israel is not the way. Straight up blocking people from entering your country, because someone in the Home Secretary’s office as beef, is a bleak way to run a country.

    The number of Musicians, Politicians, and Religious Leaders on this list really leaves the impression that it’s arbitrary and personal, especially when you consider who is coming and going through the UK at will.

      • Rioting Pacifist@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        15
        ·
        edit-2
        1 day ago

        He is literally a Nazi

        Is he?

        Does he organize nationalists or promote white supremacy or does he just say stupid shit?

        Because if it’s the latter this will be weaponized against anyone left of center far more effective than this.

        Wether it’s Ye or Kneecap, having visa laws/the right to perform applied to individuals on a whim to pander to the media, is bad and reduces the rights of everyone.

        Ironically this weakens democracy in favor of an all powerful executive.

    • antonim@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      26
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      West has said literally nothing about Israel, he’s been spouting racist, antisemitic, Holocaust-denying garbage for years and has been screaming openly and proudly that he’s a nazi. His antisemitism is built around his delusions of being prosecuted by the jewish musical lobby. His latest hit is a song whose refrain goes “nigga heil Hitler, nigga heil Hitler”. Any person with a modicum of moral integrity ought to have a “beef” with this idiot. Scroll through https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Views_of_Kanye_West a bit.

      Trying to whitewash a bald-faced nazi into a mere “POS” who’s a victim of UK’s “fascism” is revolting. I mean it. Please read through the above link and reconsider.

      The number of Musicians, Politicians, and Religious Leaders on this list really leaves the impression that it’s arbitrary and personal

      Those arbitrary bans for reasons such as, uhh, “systematic approach to the torture and murder of civilians”, “criminal convictions”, “war crimes”, “anti-LGBT rhetoric” and “involvement in London bombings”???

    • Asetru@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      29
      ·
      1 day ago

      Boo hoo, a country doesn’t let a fascist in.

      Countries have no obligation to let people from other countries in. It’s a good will gesture to do so. And why on earth would you show good will to a fascist?

      • Rioting Pacifist@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 day ago

        The UK has every right to deny Ye entry, the issue is that the law is so vague that it’s implemention is up to the home office and largely used to pander to the (foreign/non-dom owned) press, the UK has effective abdicated control of its borders to the media.

        Ironically this also weakens democracy in favor of an all powerful executive.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        7
        ·
        1 day ago

        Boo hoo, a country doesn’t let a fascist in.

        It does let them in. The UK has no problem with fascists, just so long as they’re British Fascists.