Kanye West to perform first UK shows in 11 years with three dates at Wireless Festival
The US rapper, now known as Ye, has not performed in the UK since his Glastonbury headline set in 2015
Kanye West, AKA Ye, will perform three consecutive dates at London's Wireless Festival this summer as the headline act, marking his first UK shows in 11 years.
In an announcement shared via Instagram yesterday (March 30), the Finsbury Park-based festival confirmed that the US rapper will headline three back-to-back nights of this year's edition, which will take place across July 10 - 12. West is the second artist to do a three-date run at Wireless, following on from last year's headliner, Drake.
Ye has not performed in the UK since his headline slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2015. In a statement seen by BBC News, a spokesperson for Wireless Festival said: "Ye's UK comeback will be an extraordinary chapter in Wireless' story".
Read this next: James Blake requests for his name to be removed from Kanye’s ‘Bully’ credits
The Chicago-born musician has been the subject of intense backlash for years as a result of several antisemitic, racist, homophobic and sexist statements and outbursts — including the release of a track last year entitled 'Heil Hitler', and the sale of a T-shirt on his Yeezy platform emblazoned with a swastika, which was later taken down.
While he was set to make his return to Europe at Rubicon Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia, last year, the event was cancelled due to "external pressure and logistical challenges". BBC News reports that local protest groups had launched a petition for his removal from the event due to his pro-Nazi comments.
Last month, the US rapper took out an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal entitled "To Those I’ve Hurt", apologising for his offensive statements and citing a 2002 head injury as the cause of his behaviour.
West made his return to the stage at Mexico City's Monumental Plaza de Toros across two nights in January, his first performances since California's Rolling Loud Festival in 2024.
Mixmag merch is here: Shop the collection
Currently on a promotional run for his 12th studio album, 'Bully', which was released in full on Friday (March 28), West is set to perform in two other European cities this summer – including an appearance at Hellwatt Festival in Reggio Emilia, Italy, on July 18, and a concert at Madrid's Riyadh Air Metropolitano on July 30.
Read Wireless Festival's full announcement below.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X