Festival boss Melvin Benn has defended Kanye West’s Wireless booking

Melvin Benn has defended Kanye West’s planned UK performance, issuing a detailed statement as political, commercial and community pressure continues to mount around the rapper’s booking for Wireless Festival.

Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, began by setting out his personal position:

“I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970’s that was attacked on October 7th, am pro Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state.”

He continued by referencing personal experiences that have shaped his outlook:

“Having had a person in my life for the last 15 years who suffers from mental illness, I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from. If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.”

Addressing Ye’s past antisemitic remarks directly, Benn 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.”

Despite this, he argued that the artist should still be allowed to perform in the UK, pointing to the continued availability of his music:

“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country. He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions.”

Benn concluded with a broader appeal for tolerance:

“Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and 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.”

The statement comes amid intensifying scrutiny of Ye’s proposed headline appearance at Wireless Festival in London’s Finsbury Park this July. The rapper is expected to top the bill across all three nights, marking what would be his first UK performances in over a decade.

The booking has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Keir Starmer described the decision as “deeply concerning”, while senior ministers have questioned whether Ye should be permitted entry to the UK. Jewish community organisations have also condemned the move, with some accusing festival organisers of legitimising or profiting from harmful rhetoric.

Commercial partners have begun to distance themselves, with major sponsors including Pepsi and Diageo reported to have withdrawn support for the event. Meanwhile, local authorities and City Hall have indicated they are monitoring the situation closely, with licensing and public safety considerations potentially coming into play.

Ye has faced sustained backlash in recent years following a series of antisemitic statements and controversies, leading to the loss of major brand partnerships and widespread condemnation across the music and business industries.

At present, Festival Republic has given no indication it intends to change course. Whether the shows ultimately go ahead, however, may depend on decisions taken beyond the festival itself, as political pressure on the UK government to intervene continues to grow.