Jewish leaders have called on Wireless Festival to rethink Kanye West‘s headline performance at the event this summer in the wake of heightened antisemitic tension in the UK.
The controversial rapper has a history of antisemitism, includes describing himself as a Nazi, releasing a song called “Heil Hitler”, selling T-shirts with swastikas on, spending time with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and repeatedly making antisemitic statements. He is set to headline all three nights of the forthcoming north London event.
The festival has been advertised as “three-night journey through his most iconic records” and will be the first performance by the rapper, who has legally changed his name to Ye, in the UK in more than a decade.
The announcement has been met with backlash from Jewish leaders, as well as Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who described West’s past comments as “offensive and wrong”.
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of Shomrim, Stamford Hill, and chair of the Arab-Jewish Forum, told The Independent the rapper’s scheduled appearance in the UK was “deeply, deeply troubling”.
“He’s a highly gifted and talented person, and therefore it is very sad that he hasn’t managed to overcome his antisemitic attitudes, even though he’s tried a number of times, but sadly he hasn’t succeeded yet,” said Rabbi Gluck.
“Until he succeeds, I think it’s highly inappropriate that he should appear at public events in the UK, because at present there is a strong possibility that he will be seen as a de-stabilising figure who will exacerbate antisemitic tensions in the country, sadly.”
Mr West bought out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal where he issued an apology for his behaviour, attributing it to his bipolar-1 disorder in January.
He similarly apologised in 2023, a year after writing on X in October 2022 that he was “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE … You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
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In 2025, he professed his love for Hitler on social media and purchased local advertising during Super Bowl LIX, which directed viewers to his website, where he was selling a swastika T-shirt.
Rabbi Gluck said: “If that apology had been the end of the story, I do believe in the power of repentance and I do believe in the power of people being able to change. But sadly, as following previous similar incidents, he’s apologised and subsequently doubled down on previous statements that he made.”
“It is deeply, deeply troubling. I wish that he would be a person who would bring peace and harmony to British society, but sadly his recent record indicates that that is not the case and therefore I’m very surprised that the government is allowing him to appear in the UK.”
The announcement of West as a headliner came little more than a week after an antisemitic hate crime in Golders Green, where four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in north-west London, were set on fire in the early hours of 23 March. Gas canisters stored in the vehicles exploded as part of the incident.
“People are traumatised, people are scared. I think that in the present climate, the statements that he continues to double down on, which would be disturbing at any time, are especially troubling now.” Rabbi Gluck added, as he called on Wireless to “reflect on this invitation.”
Other public figures have condemned Mr West’s appearance at the festival, with Sir Sadiq saying: “We are clear the past comments/actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values.
“This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one City Hall is involved in.”
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council told the Guardian: “It is deeply irresponsible for Wireless festival to be headlining Kanye West. The UK Jewish community is facing record levels of antisemitism, including a terrorist attack in Manchester, the attack on ambulances in Golders Green and foiled plots which would have killed many more.”
Community Security Trust, a charity which provides safety and security advice to the Jewish Community, recorded 3,700 instances of anti-Jewish hate across the UK in 2025, the second highest annual total ever reported to them. This is second only to the 4,298 antisemitic incidents logged in 2023.
The Independent contacted Wireless festival for comment.
