After fierce backlash to the booking, The managing director of the parent company of Wireless Festival has defended the decision to schedule Kanye West’s a headliner.
The managing director of the parent company of Wireless Festival has defended the decision to book Kanye West.
Melvin Benn spoke out after huge backlash met the news the 48-year-old rapper had been scheduled to perform at this year’s Wireless Festival, urging critics to show “forgiveness and hope” after a wave of backlash.
The managing director of Festival Republic, which owns Wireless, said in a statement issued on Monday (06.04.26): “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 added: “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.
“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.”
Melvin continued: “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.”
Melvin concluded: “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.”
Melvin issued his statement after it was announced West – also known as Ye – will headline all three nights of the festival in Finsbury Park from 10–12 July.
The booking has drawn widespread criticism over Kanye West’s past antisemitic remarks, with brands withdrawing sponsorship and calls for the government to review his ability to enter the UK.
Kanye has faced sustained criticism in recent years after making antisemitic comments and expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
ast year, he released a track titled Heil Hitler and promoted a swastika T-shirt on his website.
Managing director of Wireless Festival’s parent company defends decision to book Kanye West
