Scheduled SXSW Performers Trementina & Yung Beef Denied Entry Into U.S.

Chilean band Trementina and Spanish rapper Yung Beef were denied entry in to U.S. and will  not perform at South by Southwest

At least seven other artists hoping to play at SXSW has experienced the same denied entry status. Trementina and Yung Beef weren't allowed to enter the country for not having the correct type of visa needed to perform at the festival. Both took to social media to share the news with their fans and announce the cancellation of their performances.

Trementina -- who were supposed to kick off a mini U.S. tour following their performance at SXSW on Thursday -- received an email informing them that their visa/permits had been canceled just days before traveling to Austin. "We tried to contact the U.S. embassy, and they didn't give us any answer or solution. We've lost our plane tickets, a month and a half of shows, and a lot of work and time we invested in it." 

"The U.S. won't accept us so we're staying in Mexico where there are a lot of amazing people offering their help," added the band, which was planning to enter the U.S. on ESTA, part of the Visa Waiver Program, according to Remezcla.  

Trap artist and rapper Yung Beef, part of this year's Sounds of Spain and also traveling on ESTA, was stopped at the Barcelona-El Prat airport. His music label, La Vendicion Records, posted the following message on Facebook:

"We've canceled our participation at SXSW. Yung Beef's ESTA wasn't accepted by the American governemnt and we were just informed at the airport without any prior notification. Regardless of the support we've received from SXSW, ICEX and MINECO, we have not been able to change the status of the ESTA."

Yung Beef wrote on Twitter: "Now it's not that they're not letting me in at the club, now they're not letting me enter a country."  Billboard on Tuesday explaining that "if an individual is a member of an internationally recognized entertainment group, they must apply for and be granted a P-1 visa."
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In the past, international artists have been able to enter the country with a B-1 visitor visa to perform at showcases where they're not getting paid, which is the case at SXSW. A spokesperson for SXSW said event officials "know about the situation" and "have spoken to the artists" but are declining to comment on the visa issue.