Kanye West's antisemitic views 'at odds with our values in Haringey,' says council leader

Peray Ahmet expresses regret at decision by Wireless Festival to name West as a headliner at Finsbury Park before later cancelling the whole event following a public outcry, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Kanye West (inset left, credit Wikimedia Commons/Cosmopolitan UK) had been set to headline Finsbury Park, a move slammed by Peray Ahmet (inset right, credit Haringey Labour)

The leader of Haringey Council says she is “deeply disappointed” by the organisers of Wireless Festival for choosing Kanye West as their headline act.

The musician was set to perform across all three days of the July event in Finsbury Park, Haringey.

This was before the festival was cancelled earlier this week due to the huge public backlash over the artist’s previous antisemetic statements and praise for Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader who oversaw the Holocaust during the Second World War.

Responding to questions from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Labour council leader Peray Ahmet criticised the decision to select West, saying: ‘’I’m deeply disappointed by the decision to book an artist whose comments are at odds with our values in Haringey, particularly given the concerns raised within our large Jewish community.’’

The leader of the Labour-run local authority was asked if she supported the decision to cancel the festival in its entirety given it would mean loss of employment and of a major cultural event in the borough.

Cllr Ahmet responded: “Major events bring enormous benefits to Haringey. They generate revenue we can invest back into the surrounding area, provide local employment, and bring additional footfall for local businesses.

“We share the disappointment of many of our local businesses, and regret that the circumstances that led to the event organisers cancelling the event arose in the first place.”

On Tuesday (7th), the government announced the musician would not be granted a visa by the Home Office. Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on X saying the government “stands firmly with the Jewish community” and “would always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values”.

Nevertheless, it is understood that West had been granted a visa by the Home Office through its online service before the public outcry.

In response to the decision to deny the musician entry to the UK, the event organisers issued a statement saying the event would be cancelled and all ticket holders would “receive an automatic full refund”.

It is not clear why the festival organisers believed selecting West, whose legal name is now Ye, would be a good idea.

Explaining their decision to headline a musician who last year released a song titled Heil Hitler, the organisers said: “As with every Wireless festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Ye and no concerns were highlighted at the time.”

Responding to criticism to select a man who, also In 2025, advertised a shirt with a Nazi swastika, they stated: “Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had.”

The organisers said the artist acknowledged the reasons for the cancellation, adding that “in spite of this” West “still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK”.

In January, West took a full-page advert in the US-based Wall Street Journal apologising for his antisemetic behaviour. The musician attributed his actions to an ongoing battle with bipolar disorder.

In a statement following Wireless Festival’s cancellation, the artist offered to meet members of the Jewish community “to listen”.

“I know words aren’t enough,” he said, adding: “I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”

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