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.
