Pepsi has announced its withdrawal as the main sponsor of the Wireless Festival in London this summer, following the announcement that Kanye West is slated to headline the three-day event.
The American rapper, now known as Ye, has faced widespread condemnation for antisemitic remarks made in recent years, for which he issued an apology in January.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously stated that West’s planned headline appearance at Wireless was “deeply concerning.”
In comments initially reported by the Sun on Sunday, Sir Keir noted that West had been booked “despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears,” the prime minister affirmed.
“Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
West, 48, was announced earlier this week as the headlining act for all three days of the rap and R&B festival held in north London in July.
The festival is marketed as Pepsi presents Wireless, with the brand serving as the primary sponsor.
Drinks conglomerate Diageo has also withdrawn its support for the festival “as it stands.” Two of its prominent brands, Johnnie Walker whisky and Captain Morgan rum, had been listed as partners on the Wireless website.
“We have informed the organisers of our concerns, and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival,” a company spokesperson stated.
As of Sunday evening, the festival website still featured Pepsi, Johnnie Walker, and Captain Morgan as partners. However, the section detailing partner information appeared to have been removed, displaying an error message that read: “There’s nothing to see here.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey stated on Thursday that the government should prohibit West from entering the UK, emphasizing that “we need to get tougher on antisemitism” and describing West’s planned appearance as “extremely serious.”
BBC News understands that the Home Office has not yet received an application for West to enter the UK.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told LBC: “We are seeing a huge increase in antisemitism all across the world, and we need to do everything we can in order to stop the rise in hatred of Jewish people.”
“That does mean not platforming people who make antisemitic statements or who put out anything that will incite violence and hatred towards Jews.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented: “Personally, I wouldn’t buy a ticket.”
Last year, West was barred from entering Australia after releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler,” glorifying the Nazi leader.
He also declared himself a Nazi earlier in the year, retracting a previous apology for antisemitic comments, and sold T-shirts featuring a swastika on his clothing website.
In November 2025, West met with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, where he reportedly apologized for his past antisemitic remarks.
He subsequently took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal in January, apologizing for his antisemitic behavior.
“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” he wrote.
He attributed his actions to bipolar disorder, stating that when “you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick,” and that he had “lost touch with reality.”
“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state,” he added.
West’s X account was banned multiple times in 2022 due to posts that violated the platform’s rules.
This followed a series of offensive tweets, including an image that appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David, as well as a statement that he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people.”
In the same year, he faced criticism for wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt during Paris Fashion Week.
These actions led clothing brand Adidas to sever ties with the rapper, stating at the time that it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.”
He has not performed in the UK since 2015, when he headlined Glastonbury.
Three songs from his latest album, Bully, released in March, are currently in the UK’s top 100 singles chart.
Wireless has described the event, scheduled for July 10-12, as a “three-night journey through his most iconic records.”
Earlier this week, the leader of the largest body representing Jews in the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told BBC Newsnight that West should be barred from entering the country.
A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan stated: “We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values.”
“This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one that City Hall is involved in.”
Wireless organizers Festival Republic, as well as West’s representatives, have been contacted for comment.
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