Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates

Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has voiced worry about Kanye West’s scheduled performance at the Wireless Festival in London this summer. Known as Ye, the artist has been criticized for recent antisemitic remarks, which he addressed with a January apology. Starmer stated that West was selected for the event “despite his earlier antisemitic remarks and endorsement of Nazism.”

Pepsi, the festival’s primary sponsor, has confirmed it will no longer support the three-day gathering. Starmer emphasized, in comments reported by the Sun on Sunday, that “any form of antisemitism is unacceptable and must be tackled wherever it occurs.” He added that safeguarding Jewish communities is a collective duty in the UK.

“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears,” Starmer said. “Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”

West, 48, was announced as the headline act for the entire duration of the rap and R&B event in north London. The festival, branded as Pepsi presents Wireless, aims to celebrate his “most iconic records” over the July dates. However, his history of inflammatory statements and actions continues to draw scrutiny.

West’s 2022 social media accounts were repeatedly suspended for violating platform rules. His posts included a graphic merging a swastika with the Star of David, accompanied by a threat to target Jewish people. In the same year, he sparked controversy by wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt at Paris fashion week, leading to Adidas severing ties with him.

Earlier this year, West declared himself a Nazi, retracting an earlier apology for antisemitic comments. He also sold swastika-themed T-shirts online. Last year, he was denied entry to Australia after releasing a track titled “Heil Hitler,” which glorified the Nazi leader. Despite these incidents, the artist has not performed in the UK since 2015, when he headlined Glastonbury.

West’s recent efforts to reconcile include a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto in November 2025, where he reportedly apologized for his past remarks. He also ran a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal in January, stating, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” and attributing his earlier outbursts to bipolar disorder. “When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick,” he wrote, “and I lost touch with reality.”

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, which represents the largest Jewish community organization, urged BBC Newsnight to block West’s entry. Meanwhile, the London Mayor’s office reiterated that West’s actions contradict the city’s values, though the decision to sponsor the event was made by the festival organizers. Festival Republic, the event’s organizers, have not yet provided a response.