From Ye Headlining to Canceled: A Timeline of Wireless Fest’s Collapse
Ye (formerly Kanye West) was originally announce...
Ye (formerly Kanye West) was originally announced as a headliner for three nights at Wireless Fest on March 30. Just over a week later, the London-based festival was canceled on Tuesday (April 7) after the Home Office blocked West from traveling to the U.K.
It’s been a jam-packed last 10 days for Yeezy, who released his Bully album on March 28 and returned to the stage in the U.S. with a pair of sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 1 and April 3.
But how did his summer trip to the U.K. get axed? There seemed to be a domino effect with momentum continuing to pile up against West and Wireless’ partnership in recent days.
The backlash got louder and those speaking out against West included the London mayor and U.K. prime minister. Primary sponsors of the festival, like Pepsi, also started to drop out.
Even amid the push-back, Wireless Fest organizer Melvin Benn released a statement standing by his company’s decision to give Ye a platform.
“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,” he wrote.
Ye released a statement Tuesday morning, explaining he was open to meeting with Jewish leaders and his only goal was to “come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music. I know words aren’t enough — I’ll have to show change through my actions.”
Just hours after pre-sale tickets sold out on Tuesday morning, Wireless Fest announced the annual London festival, slated for July 10 through July 12, had been canceled following Ye’s travel ban to the U.K.
West’s next trip to Europe will come on July 18 with a show in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Here’s a timeline of how Yeezy went from Wireless Fest headliner to the festival closing its doors in a matter of eight days.
Comentarios
Deja tu comentario