Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Home / Entertainment / Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless festival
Entertainment

Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless festival

CN
CitrixNews Staff
·
Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless festival
Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless festival 9 minutes agoShareSaveJasmine SandharBBC NewsbeatShareSaveGetty Images Kanye West is wearing black sunglasses and a black t-shirt. He has a shaved head and goatee, and his mouth is slightly open. There is a thin silver necklace with a silver pendant peeking over the t-shirt. He is walking somewhere and although the background is blurred, we can see someone walking behind him. There are a black curtain and a white wall in the background, too. Getty ImagesIt will be his first UK performance in over a decade

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.

Getty Images Kanye West wears a black leather jacket and has a beam of light shining down upon him while he stands in front of a black background.Getty ImagesYe last headlined a festival in 2024 for Rolling Loud in California

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.

Getty Images Kanye West is performing on stage. He is hunched over with a mic in one hand, which he is holding up to his face. He is wearing a black hoodie with writing in a different language on it and black trousers. He is surrounded by straw sprouting up from the ground and clouds of smoke. There are bright red lights in the background.Getty ImagesThe US rapper has slowly been returning to main stages over the past few years

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.

BBC Newsbeat has approached the Wireless organisers for a comment on the claims of antimerism against Ye.

A footer logo for BBC Newsbeat. It has the BBC logo and the word Newsbeat in white over a colorful background of violet, purple and orange shapes. At the bottom a black square reading "Listen on Sounds" is visible.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Kanye WestAntisemitismMusic

Originally reported by BBC News