Pepsi and Diageo have announced they will withdraw their sponsorship of the Wireless festival, which is set to be headlined by Kanye West, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer joined criticism of the booking.
West, also known as Ye, has faced widespread condemnation for antisemitic remarks and admiration for Adolf Hitler, including a song titled 'Heil Hitler' released last year. The rapper is scheduled to headline all three nights of the July event in London's Finsbury Park.
Sir Keir described the decision to book West as 'deeply concerning', stating that 'antisemitism in any form is abhorrent'. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the government to ban West from entering the UK, saying 'we need to get tougher on antisemitism'.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, could personally direct that West be excluded from the UK under immigration rules that allow denial of entry based on conduct deemed a threat to UK society. West is understood not to have applied for a visa yet.
A Pepsi spokesperson said: 'Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless festival'. Diageo, owner of Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, informed organisers of its concerns and stated it will not sponsor the 2026 festival.
The Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews have also condemned the booking, with Board president Phil Rosenberg calling it 'absolutely the wrong decision'.
