Wireless festival’s backing for Kanye West is all about money. Don’t pretend it’s about the art | Dan Hancox

The event has signed up Ye, who has a penchant for antisemitic and sexist outbursts, to be its headline act. It’s not even as if his music is any good any more In May 2025, Kanye West, also known as Ye, released his single Heil Hitler. It was the logical conclusion to several years of racist, sexist and homophobic outbursts, and the song ended with a lengthy sample from one of the Nazi dictator’s speeches. This was only a couple of months after he stepped out in his new swastika T-shirt, which he also made available from his website for $20. Merch is so important in brand-building these days. An epic list of companies had already broken links with West after similar disgraces in 2022. After last year’s Nazi outrage, he was sued by his own talent agency, while the Australian government revoked his visa and blocked him from entering the country. By 2025, Russell Brand and Andrew Tate were among his last remaining allies. So when it was announced this week that he would be headlining all three days of this year’s Wireless festival in London’s Finsbury Park, it was, shall we say, a little surprising. The news immediately brought widespread condemnation from Jewish groups, the