Ye has issued a statement in response to the ongoing furore regarding his planned appearance at London’s Wireless Festival in July, and said he would be “grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person” (April 7).
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Last week (March 30), Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was announced as the headliner for all three days at the festival in London’s Finsbury Park this summer (July 10-12).
Following the reveal, a number of public figures and politicians criticised the move and sponsors withdrew from the event, citing his previous antisemitic comments. On Monday (April 6), festival boss Melvin Benn also issued a statement backing the booking.
Now, Festival Republic – a subsidiary of Live Nation which promotes the event – has shared a statement on behalf of Ye. The statement is titled ‘To Those I’ve Hurt,’ an extension of the advert he took out in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year.
“I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly,” Ye wrote. “My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music.
He continues, “I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the U.K. 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.”
Since the announcement, Wireless Festival has come under fire for booking the artist to headline all three dates. The criticism stems from his string of antisemitic hate comments, and the release of the song “Heil Hitler” in May 2025. In his original apology, Ye intimated that his diagnosis of bipolar disorder was a primary reason behind the statements.
The move was criticised by the Jewish Leadership Council in the capital, while the Mayor of London said his past comments were ‘not reflective of London’s values.’
Over the weekend Pepsi withdrew sponsorship from the event, and were followed by Diageo – the drinks company behind Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker – and PayPal, a payment sponsor at the event.
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the booking “deeply concerning” and The Times reports that Ye’s entry visa into the U.K. has not been approved and is under review by ministers. A number of Labour MPs have called for Ye’s entry to the U.K. to be blocked; Ye was denied entry to Australia following the release of “Heil Hitler.”
Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, said that Ye “is intended to come in and perform”, adding that they are “not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions”.
Benn also said, “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.” Tickets for the event go on sale this week.
Ye recently issued his 12th solo studio album BULLY, which charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. He also performed live at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium for his first shows in the U.S. for five years.
