The managing director of Wireless Festival has publicly defended the decision to book Kanye West as a headliner, urging the public to extend “forgiveness” to the rapper.
This follows considerable backlash surrounding West’s scheduled performance in July, with sponsors reportedly withdrawing from the London-based event and politicians voicing criticism. Last year, the artist released a song titled “Heil Hitler” and marketed merchandise featuring swastikas. He later issued an apology, citing his bipolar disorder as a contributing factor.
Melvin Benn, managing director at Festival Republic, stated: “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world.”
However, Jewish advocacy groups have criticized Benn’s supportive stance towards the performer.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, asserted that the Wireless boss’s statement “will not reassure many within the Jewish or other communities.”
The government is currently reviewing whether West, 48, should be permitted entry into the UK.
Benn, who heads Wireless Festival’s parent company, Festival Republic, emphasized that he is a “deeply committed anti-fascist” and spent several months in the 1970s living on a kibbutz in Israel.
In a statement, he said: “What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the prime minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.”
Benn also shared that he has had someone in his life for the past 15 years who suffers from mental illness and has “witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour” that he had to forgive.
“If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work,” he stated.
Wireless Festival is not providing West with a platform to “extol opinion of whatever nature,” Benn clarified, but rather to perform songs that are currently played on radio and streaming platforms and “listened to and enjoyed by millions.”
“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,” Benn said.
He added that West has a “legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country”.
West, now known as Ye, has faced widespread condemnation for antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks made in recent years.
Notably, he posted an image seemingly combining a swastika with the Star of David, accompanied by a statement indicating he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people.”
His song “Heil Hitler,” released in May of the previous year, was subsequently removed from streaming services.
This January, West issued an apology in a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, stating: “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite.”
He expressed regret and stated he was “deeply mortified” by his actions, explaining that his bipolar disorder meant “you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick.”
Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told the BBC: “The two key facts remain that Kanye West proclaimed himself a Nazi, and that Wireless stands to benefit financially from his performance.”
Rosenberg suggested the festival rescind its invitation for West to perform, adding: “Kanye West may well be on the path to health and healing. We sincerely hope that he is. But the space to test this is not over three days on the Wireless main stage.”
The Jewish Leadership Council also expressed “deep disappointment” with Benn’s statement, saying it “demonstrates a clear failure to understand the issue at hand.”
“While his sponsors are abandoning his festival as they rightly decide not to profit from racism, Benn has chosen to stick by an individual responsible for spreading antisemitism to his vast audience,” the council said in a statement.
Following the announcement of West’s headlining slot at Wireless Festival, brands including Pepsi, Rockstar Energy, and Diageo reportedly withdrew their sponsorship of the event.
The festival, held annually in Finsbury Park and attracting up to 150,000 attendees, is scheduled to take place from July 10-12.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the prospect of West headlining the festival as “deeply concerning,” emphasizing that antisemitism in any form is “abhorrent.”
It is understood that ministers are evaluating West’s potential entry into the UK. The rapper has previously been denied entry to Australia, which revoked his visa following the release of “Heil Hitler” last May.
The Conservative Party has urged the government to deny West a visa, arguing that “allowing someone with his track record to headline a major public event sends entirely the wrong message.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented: “Personally I wouldn’t buy a ticket.”
West’s most recent performance in the UK was in 2015, when he headlined Glastonbury Festival.