London’s Wireless Festival was canceled Tuesday after the British government denied Kanye West entry to the United Kingdom, marking a stunning end to weeks of mounting controversy over the rapper’s scheduled three-night headline performance.

The U.K. Home Office refused West’s visa application, citing that his presence “would not be conducive to the public good,” according to organizers Festival Republic.

The decision forced the complete cancellation of the July 10-12 festival at Finsbury Park in north London, with all ticket holders receiving automatic refunds.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had criticized West’s booking days earlier, calling it “deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks.”

“This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism,” Starmer posted on X after the cancellation was announced.

The festival’s collapse follows a dramatic exodus of major corporate sponsors that began over the weekend after West’s booking was announced.

Pepsi, which had been the festival’s main sponsor for over a decade, announced Monday it was withdrawing its support. “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Diageo, the spirits giant that owns Guinness, Baileys, and Captain Morgan brands, followed suit, stating: “We have informed the organizers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2024 Wireless festival.”

PayPal and Rockstar Energy also withdrew sponsorship support, according to industry sources familiar with the matter.

The sponsor exodus was particularly damaging because Pepsi had maintained its co-branding relationship with Wireless since 2013.

Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, had initially defended the booking despite the backlash.

“With Pepsi, for instance, our lead sponsor, they signed off and approved it,” Benn told BBC Radio 4’s Today program Monday morning, confirming that the beverage giant had initially backed the decision to book West.

In a statement to Variety, Benn described himself as “a person of forgiveness,” writing: “I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behavior that I have had to forgive and move on from.”

“What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the Prime Minister and others that have commented,” Benn said in his defense of the booking.

West was announced March 30 as the sole headliner for all three nights of Wireless 2024, marking what would have been his first major U.K. performance since 2016. The booking was promoted as a “three-night journey through his most iconic records.”

The controversy stems from West’s well-documented history of antisemitic statements and actions over recent years.

In October 2022, West posted on Twitter that he would go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” leading to his suspension from the platform. That same month, he praised Hitler during an appearance on Alex Jones’ Infowars show, stating “I see good things about Hitler also.”

His antisemitic comments resulted in Twitter and Instagram restricting his accounts. After wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt to Paris Fashion Week in October 2022, Adidas ended its partnership with his Yeezy brand, costing him his billionaire status according to Forbes.

In December 2022, West was suspended from Twitter again after posting an image combining a swastika with the Star of David.

The rapper has attributed some of his behavior to bipolar disorder, which he was diagnosed with in 2016. He has previously discussed experiencing manic episodes that affected his judgment.

Hours before the festival’s cancellation, West had issued a conciliatory statement through his representatives.

“My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music,” the statement read. “I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions.”

Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcomed the government’s action but criticized the festival’s initial booking decision.

“It is deeply regrettable that Wireless Festival invited him in the first place and then doubled down when the Jewish community and our allies objected,” Rosenberg said in a statement. “The situation could and should have been resolved much earlier.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism had lobbied the Home Office to deny West entry, arguing his presence would “embolden antisemites and cause deep distress to Britain’s Jewish community.”

Wireless is one of the U.K.’s biggest music festivals, attracting approximately 50,000 attendees daily across multiple stages. West last performed in the U.K. during his Saint Pablo tour in 2016.

The festival is organized by Festival Republic, a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment. This marks the first time in the festival’s 18-year history that it has been completely canceled due to artist-related controversy.