Why has Wireless Festival been cancelled if Kanye West cannot attend?

[Slightyamusedandsilly]

Don't understand why Wireless festival is cancelled just because Kanye loopy West can't come?

Well, they don’t have a headline act and lots of their sponsors have dropped out so presumably it’s not financially viable anymore.

Presumably because they don't have another headliner who can fill in. Also for those who bought tickets at least if it's cancelled they get their money back. If it went ahead no one would get a refund and be very unhappy as they didn't get what they paid for.

The sponsors pulling out would make it financially unviable. I'm glad.

Seems odd to cancel so quickly, rather than find another artist, reinstate sponsors, give optional refund if people we’re only going for Kanye, resell tickets for new headliner people are more likely going to want to see. I mean, big events like this surely have a plan B?

You'd think they'd have a plan B but seems not. With no sponsors to pay for Kanye (hurray!) Wireless is a wash out.

I think maybe sponsors no longer wish to be associated with a festival that doubles down on its support of KW - it's not a good look for them.

do people actually still want to see Kanye West perform?

No sponsors so it unaffordable.
the people who paid for tickets expected to see KW. (Fuck knows why)

Given that it’s unheard of (I think….) for the same act to headline three days on the trot, maybe they didn’t have a list of acts that could replace him.

They'd have to find three headline acts to replace Kanye, or another single headliner willing to do all three nights - summer festival season is usually organised way in advance and big headliners will have booked up other places so it may have ended up being promoting a 2nd tier act to headliner - would they have the draw for three nights? As pre-sale is today, will people be buying tickets for no known headliner(s)?
Plus as others have said..sponsors

The organiser was on the news last night saying how we should all be giving 'Yay' a break as he has bipolar which is an illness and everyone deserves a second chance (please explain how his staff allowed shirts with swastika on to be printed?!). Maybe he's decided on a matter of principle to cancel?

Drake headlined all three nights last year, to average reviews. I don't think Wireless sounds like a viable festival these days.

Of course.
He’s got a massive back catalogue before his anti semitic episode. He wasn’t previous anti Jewish and apologised since, He’s played gigs all over the world recently including California a few nights ago.
He has a mental illness that causes outrageous behaviour. I’d be more worried about everyone that went along with his anti Semitic period.

Bipolar does not cause people to become vocally antisemitic for 3 years.

https://archive.is/079EJ

It's not a new thing.

I'm not sure that they do, the artists that fit their type of festival aren't going to be sitting around waiting for a call. They will have their festivals/touring/recording or whatever planned way ahead

Many sponsors had already pulled out when he was announced as headline act.

This. Why are you making excuses for his views, @Peony1985

on another note I just read the news and saw that the UK govt have actually blocked him from entering. First good thing this government has done since it was elected tbh. Never thought they would show this much backbone over anti Semitism.

What an idiot this organiser was - doubling down on defending West.

Thank you. My DP has suffered with bipolar for many years. He takes his meds (some have horrid side effects) and listens to what his doctors advise. I have never in all the years I've known him, no matter how ill he's been, heard him rant against anybody let alone spout anti semitic filth as West has repeatedly done. He wants to talk with the British Jewish community? Understandably they don't want to speak to him.
I am so fed up with people in the public eye using mental ill health to excuse their behaviour.

Given that wireless is held in a bit of London with such a large orthadox Jewish population, he was a staggeringly bad choice for a headliner in the first place. What the fuck were they thinking?!

I thought it odd that Wireless only had West booked and no other supporting acts just 3 months before the festival and when tickets were already on sale.

I thought that too. The answer is of course they weren't thinking at all.

It’s a shame for the other artists who won’t get to perform and possibly not get paid.

I do think it’s odd that wireless booked him, I presume they were well aware of his views and on top of that they must have known sponsors would not wan’t to be associated with him. I get he is a very talented artist so understand that aspect of the booking and why people would wan’t to see him perform.

What is extraordinary is that the organisers didn't even consider that it would go this way. It is patently obvious that he would not be granted entry, let alone a work visa. Also odd is that the organisers announced that he had applied for an ETA, which is a visa waiver for tourist entry when in reality he would need a permitted paid engagement visa.