Earl Sweatshirt and political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker will no longer take part in SXSW London events taking place this week.
The festival is currently underway in Shoreditch, running from June 1 to June 6. Earl Sweatshirt had originally been scheduled as one of the featured performers, but organisers announced on June 1 that the rapper would no longer be able to attend.
In a statement shared on Instagram, SXSW London said that Sweatshirt had "met with an accident" that prevented him from travelling and performing. "We’re sad that we won’t be able to welcome him to London this year, and we know that this will be disappointing to fans," the organisers wrote. "His wellbeing must come first".
The rapper had been due to perform at Shoreditch Town Hall on June 2 as part of a showcase event. MIKE has now been added to the lineup as his replacement.
It has also been confirmed that Hasan Piker, the Turkish American Twitch streamer and political commentator known online as HasanAbi, along with fellow Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, will not appear at SXSW London after being denied entry into the United Kingdom.
The UK Home Office revoked the pair's Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA), which allow eligible foreign nationals to enter Britain without obtaining a visa beforehand. According to the government, their presence in the country "may not be conducive to the public good".
Piker, who was also scheduled to participate in an event organised by Oxford students this week, strongly criticised SXSW London organisers on X. He claimed that "they totally didn’t defend me or Cenk at all", before adding: "They’re actual fucking losers and I will never work with them for the rest of my life." He also encouraged anyone who had purchased tickets for his appearance to "demand a refund".
The commentator has frequently criticised the Israeli government and previously stated during an appearance on Pod Save America that he would "vote for Hamas over Israel every single time", describing the group as "1000 times better" than Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Last week, Labour MP David Taylor urged organisers to stop Piker from appearing at SXSW London, calling on the festival to "act responsibly". Meanwhile, Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski described the decision to block Piker from entering the country as "grim" and said it was a "clear warning" about the "dangerous road" the UK is heading down.
A spokesperson for SXSW London said: "We are aware that Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker are unable to travel to the UK following a decision by the Home Office. They will therefore not be participating in the SXSW London programme this year. Decisions on entry to the UK are a matter for the Home Office and the individuals concerned. SXSW London’s role is to convene a broad range of diverse voices and perspectives. We remain focused on delivering a programme this week fostering open dialogue and exchange of ideas and featuring more than 800 speakers, artists and screenings."
Ash Sarkar of Novara Media, who had originally been scheduled to moderate the discussion involving Piker, first urged the festival to "facilitate a way for Hasan and Cenk to contribute remotely". She later withdrew from the event altogether.
"If I were in their shoes, I would hope that any organisation which invited me to speak, and had their programming interfered with by the Home Office, would have had the minimal expected integrity to offer some defence of lawful free expression and condemn government outreach," she wrote.
Zarah Sultana, the left wing MP representing Your Party, has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to reverse what she described as the "indefensible" decision to ban Piker and Uygur. "It raises serious questions about freedom of expression, the right to challenge government policy, and the extent to which immigration powers are being weaponised as instruments of political control," she wrote.
"The question must be asked directly: was this decision taken to suppress criticism of the Israeli government and to silence those challenging both this government’s and the US administration’s role in enabling the ongoing genocide in Gaza?" she added.
Last year, several artists withdrew from SXSW London in protest over appearances by Tony Blair, David Cameron and other political figures. Critics accused the festival of "artwashing" by inviting speakers they claimed were "deeply complicit in the current genocide of Palestinian people".
Responding at the time, a spokesperson told NME: "SXSW London respects everyone’s views and positions and aims to create an open, diverse space for debate and discussion."
"Across the breadth of the festival, with over 800 speakers, we have a broad range of global leaders spanning the technology and cultural industries, their inclusion does not represent an endorsement of any particular position or viewpoint," they added.
