Major corporate sponsors have withdrawn from a London music festival headlined by Kanye West, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced concern over the artist’s scheduled performances.
Drinks companies Pepsi and Diageo said Sunday they would no longer sponsor the Wireless Festival, which West is set to headline for three nights in July as part of a European comeback tour.
A spokesperson for Pepsi, the festival’s top sponsor, said the company “has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” without providing further details.
Starmer told The Sun newspaper it was “deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
He added that “antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly.”
Diageo, whose brands were due to partner with the festival, also confirmed its withdrawal.
“We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival,” a spokesman said.
The festival’s operator, Live Nation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
West’s booking, announced last month, drew criticism from Jewish organizations and Sadiq Khan. The Campaign Against Antisemitism urged the government to bar the rapper from entering the country.
“Surely this is a clear case,” the group said on X, arguing West could be excluded as a non-citizen whose presence is not “conducive to the public good.”
The controversy has extended beyond the UK. In Marseille, the mayor said West was “not welcome” ahead of a planned June concert.
West, 48, who now goes by Ye, has previously apologized for antisemitic remarks, attributing them to bipolar disorder. In May 2025, he released a song titled “Heil Hitler” marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The track was subsequently banned by major streaming platforms.
