Lil Wayne will no longer be appearing at a music festival this weekend after being barred from entering the UK.
The American rapper’s visa was denied by the Ministry of the Interior in a “last minute decision”, according to the Strawberries and Creem festival, where he was to be titled on Saturday.
The A Milli singer was expected to perform with Tion Wayne, Mabel, Wilkinson and Katie B.
Announcing the lineup change, event organizers said they had “received minimal notice”, describing the timing of the decision as “disappointing for all participants”.
“Due to extreme circumstances beyond our control or influence, we regret to announce that Lil Wayne can no longer participate in the festival,” they added.
“Lil Wayne was denied entry to the UK directly by the Home Office at the last minute. We are deeply disappointed by this sudden and negative decision.”
According to the organizers, the festival was to be the only European show of the winner of the Muti Grammy in 2022.
The interior ministry confirmed that the hip-hop star had been denied entry, saying all those who had been sentenced to 12 months in prison or more “should be denied application”.
Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, was sentenced to one year in prison in 2010 on charges of possession of a weapon, from which he spent eight months behind bars.
He pleaded guilty in 2020 to federal arms charges, but was later pardoned by then-President Donald Trump last January.
He has been denied access to the United Kingdom in the past due to criminal convictions.
Grammy winner Ludacris will now play in Lil Wayne’s place, but the decision did not go well with ticket holders, with many demanding a full refund.
One tweeted: “I have to refund here. Literally the only game that people come for is Wayne. The only reason he hasn’t been in the UK for so long is because he has been denied entry before, so you’re sure to check this out before announcing it? “
Another said: “There is absolutely no way. Please can you let me know that I can get a full refund. This is a fake advertisement.”
The festival offers guests free admission to Sunday’s event or a discount on tickets for next year’s festival.
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