Pepsi and Diageo have withdrawn their sponsorship of the Wireless festival after criticism of its decision to book Kanye West as headliner. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the booking as 'deeply concerning' given West's history of antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.
West, also known as Ye, has drawn widespread condemnation for voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler, releasing a song titled Heil Hitler, and advertising a swastika T-shirt. Pepsi said it would withdraw sponsorship, while Diageo confirmed it would not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival.
West is understood not to have applied for a UK visa, and could be blocked under rules allowing denial of entry on character or conduct grounds. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could personally direct his exclusion.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for a ban, saying 'we need to get tougher on antisemitism'. The Jewish Leadership Council condemned the booking as 'deeply irresponsible', and Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg said it was 'absolutely the wrong decision'.
West apologised in January for his antisemitic remarks, attributing them to a manic episode caused by bipolar disorder.
