Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - Tottenham Hotspur has rejected a request by Kanye West to perform at its home stadium in London over the rapper’s history of antisemitic statements.
West, 46, had sought to hold concerts at the stadium as part
of the promotion of his new album. However, the north London club made clear it
would not allow the performance to go ahead, given the sensitivity surrounding
its fan base and the club’s historical identity with the Jewish community.
Tottenham has a large and dedicated Jewish following, and
the club has long embraced that connection. Club sources told British media
that hosting a figure who has made a series of offensive remarks about Jews
“would constitute a direct affront to fans and the community.”
A source at the club told The Sun: “We are proud of our
heritage and our ties to the Jewish community. There is no place for
antisemitism at Tottenham, and hosting someone who has promoted such views is
simply not on the table.”
Following the rejection, the artist turned to the Wireless
Festival, which accepted the proposal and announced him as the headline act for
all three days of the event, set to take place at Finsbury Park on July 10–12.
The move, however, has sparked a sharp backlash, already leading major sponsors
to withdraw.
“It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to
perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of
Nazism,” Starmer told The Sun in an interview. “Antisemitism in any form is
abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a
responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
In recent years, West has repeatedly made antisemitic
statements. Among other actions, he released a shirt featuring a swastika
through his fashion line, and in February 2025, posted on the X social media
platform after a lengthy hiatus, “I am a Nazi, I love Hitler.” In other
posts, he said he would “never trust Jews” and would not “work with Jews,”
adding that he had no intention of apologizing.
However, in November 2025, he met with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto
and apologized for his antisemitic remarks.
“I was dealing with various issues, including bipolar
disorder. I took my ideas to the extreme and forgot about protecting the people
around me, and myself. So I wanted to take responsibility… Sometimes people
don’t really understand bipolar disorder, what causes it, or how it affects
your behavior. You have this illness. It’s like you left your house and your
child stayed behind and made a mess of the kitchen, the garage and the living
room. When you come back, it’s your responsibility because it’s your child.
That’s how I see it, like I need to clean up the kitchen, the living room, and
the garage.”
In January, West published another apology in a full-page
advertisement in The Wall Street Journal.
“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” he wrote, explaining
that bipolar disorder means “you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick,” and
that he had “lost touch with reality.” “I deeply regret and am ashamed of my
actions,” he added.
0 Comments