Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn has spoken about what Wireless took away from the controversy surrounding Kanye West’s cancelled shows, according to NME. West was due to headline the festival for three nights before the performances were pulled after he was blocked from travelling to the UK by the government.
The booking drew strong backlash, including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who called it “deeply concerning” given West’s past antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism. Several sponsors also ended their ties with Wireless, including Pepsi, Diageo, PayPal and Rockstar Energy.
In a statement before the cancellation, Benn described West’s comments as “abhorrent,” while also urging people to “offer some forgiveness.” In his new interview with NME, Benn said timing was the key lesson from the situation and added that forgiveness is important, though he said that was not his own lesson.
Benn also said he remains confident that Wireless will return. He made the comments while discussing the festival’s wider plans, including a major staging and arena overhaul and the strength of UK and Irish music on this year’s line-up.
