Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless Festival

US rapper Kanye West has been announced as the headliner for all three nights of this year's Wireless Festival.

The controversial star last performed in the UK when he headlined Glastonbury in 2015.

His return to the Wireless stage in London follows years of widespread criticism for antisemitic comments, which he later publicly apologised for.

The announcement comes days after the 48-year-old, now known as Ye, released his twelfth studio album Bully.

Festival organisers say "Ye's UK comeback will be an extraordinary chapter in Wireless's story".

Running from 10 to 12 July, the rapper is set to perform tracks from across his discography when he takes to the stage at Finsbury Park.

The set list is expected to range from his 2004 debut The College Dropout, to later albums like 2007's Graduation and 2016's The Life of Pablo.

No other acts have been announced on the 2026 line-up yet.

Ye has sparked significant controversy for his antisemitic remarks in recent years.

In 2025, he was blocked from entering Australia after he released a song glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Earlier that year, he declared himself a Nazi and retracted an apology for earlier comments.

In 2022, sportswear giant Adidas announced it was ending its partnership with West over his antisemitism.

In November, Ye held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto where he reportedly apologised for his past antisemitic comments.

Then in January, Ye took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal where he shared details about his bipolar type-1 diagnosis, which he had previously dismissed.

Within the letter, titled "To Those I've Hurt", he said as a result of the disorder he had "lost touch with reality" and gravitated towards "the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika" and sold t-shirts with the sign on it.

He added that it led him to say and do things he regrets and insisted he is "not a Nazi or an antisemite".

His new album Bully was delayed numerous times, and at one stage was due to be released a few days after the advert was published.

Singer and actor Benjamin Haim-Isaac, who describes himself as a "very active" member of the Jewish community, says it has been "really horrific" to see someone offered such a large platform after saying "something so awful".

"It really makes you question whether the people who are organising this festival actually support the Jewish community", the 24-year-old, from London, tells BBC Newsbeat.

Haim-Isaac, who says he used to love some of Ye's hit songs like American Boy, says he struggles with the rapper's public apology as he has gone back on his word in the past.

While he says he does not support "cancel culture", he is troubled by how recently Ye said "such horrific things".

"And it wasn't just every now and again, a few antisemitic tropes. This man was a raging, raging antisemite," he says.

"I think it's really worrying when someone with that big of a platform says things like that."

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism told Newsbeat Ye's past antisemitic comments have had a "huge impact" and it was "disappointing" to see venues invite him back so quickly following his most recent apology.

"If he remains on the right path and makes more effort to make amends, that is well and good, but if he returns to his old ways these venues will have much to answer for," they added.

The Community Security Trust, a charity which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said booking Ye as a headliner was "completely unacceptable".

"There is little confidence that he will not repeat his appalling views in future," a spokesperson said.

"Antisemitism causes real harm to Jewish communities and decisions like this risk signalling that anti-Jewish racism is welcome in the music industry."

Ye has slowly been returning to main stages, headlining 2024's Rolling Loud in California with US rapper Ty Dolla $ign and performing live in China, South Korea and Mexico over the past two years.

Last year, Canadian rapper Drake headlined all three days of Wireless Festival, with each night focused on a different era of his extensive back catalogue.

But fans were left disappointed after the 39-year-old's performance on the final day ended after 40 minutes, when the previous night ran for 90 minutes.

There was also mixed reaction from fans when the 2025 Wireless line-up was announced, due to its lack of UK artists.

Burna Boy, Vybz Kartel, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Summer Walker performed alongside Drake last year.

About 50,000 rap, R&B and hip-hop fans head to the event each day.

A spokesperson for Haringey Council, which manages Finsbury Park, told BBC Newsbeat that organisers Festival Republic would need to meet several conditions.

They said this included "ensuring performing acts do not offend or denigrate any race or religion".

"We'll be seeking assurances from Festival Republic that they'll be reminding all artists of this condition prior to them performing this summer," they added.

BBC Newsbeat has approached the Wireless organisers for comment on criticism following Ye being announced as a headliner.

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