Lil Wayne no longer appearing at Strawberries and Creem festival after being denied entry to UK

The American rapper's visa was denied by the Home Office in a "last-minute decision", according to the Strawberries and Creem Festival, where he had been due to headline on Saturday.

Announcing the change in line-up, event organisers said they had "received minimal notice", describing the timing of the decision as "upsetting for all involved".

The Home Office confirmed the hip-hop star had been denied entry, saying that all individuals who have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more "must have their application refused".

Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, was sentenced to a year in prison back in 2010 on a gun possession charge, of which he served eight months behind bars.

In 2020, he pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge but was later pardoned by then-president Donald Trump in January last year. He has been denied entry to the UK in the past due to his criminal convictions.

Grammy-winning artist Ludacris will now perform in Lil Wayne's place, but the decision did not go down well with ticket holders, with many demanding a full refund.