Lil Wayne barred from entering UK, London festival appearance canceled

Kenan Draughorne
·2 min read
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Lil Wayne smiling behind a microphone stand
Lil Wayne hasn't played in the UK since his visa application was rejected in 2011. (Owen Sweeney / Invision/AP)

Lil Wayne will not be performing at London's Strawberries & Creem festival Saturday after organizers said the Home Office barred him from entering the country in a "last minute decision."

Wayne was set to headline the London festival, playing his first show in the country in more than a decade. However, Strawberries and Creem on Wednesday announced it had been forced to remove him from the lineup.

"Lil Wayne has been refused entry to the UK directly by the Home Office in a last minute decision," a statement on the festival's website read. "We are deeply disappointed by this sudden and negative ruling. We have received very minimal notice, and the timing of the decision is of course upsetting for all involved — including Lil Wayne's fans, as well as the festival team."

A reason for the Home Office's decision wasn't immediately available, and The Times has reached out to Lil Wayne's team for comment.

In an attempt to appease fans, the festival brought in Ludacris to fill in for Lil Wayne on Saturday night. The festival will also offer Saturday ticketholders free entry to Sunday's slate (headlined by Tems) or a discount on tickets for next year's festival.

"Across the weekend, we still have an incredible array of artists joining us," the team said. Others billed to perform include Mabel, Tion Wayne and Knucks.

Wayne has not yet released a statement on the late switch. His removal from the lineup comes less than a week after he was tapped to fill in for the Migos at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City but had to pull out just before the event, citing "flight disruptions."

In 2011, Lil Wayne's UK visa application was rejected, forcing him to cancel his European tour dates in the area. British immigration officials had cited his criminal history, as he had been released from prison in November 2010 after serving eight months on a gun charge.

In November 2020 he was charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, although he was pardoned by former President Trump in 2021.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.