Pepsi Pulls Out as UK Festival Sponsor Following Kanye West Backlash

Pepsi has confirmed it will withdraw as the main sponsor of London’s Wireless Festival this summer following the announcement that Kanye West will headline the three-day event.

The US rapper, now known as Ye, has faced widespread criticism in recent years over antisemitic remarks, for which he issued an apology in January.

Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the decision to feature West as “deeply concerning.” He noted that the artist had been booked despite previous controversial statements, including comments linked to antisemitism and praise of Nazism.

“Antisemitism in any form is unacceptable and must be challenged wherever it appears,” Starmer said, adding that ensuring the safety and inclusion of Jewish communities in Britain remains a shared responsibility.

West, 48, was recently announced as the headline act for all three days of the rap and R&B festival, set to take place in north London this July. The event had been marketed under Pepsi’s branding as the main sponsor prior to its withdrawal.

Drinks giant Diageo has withdrawn its support for the festival “as it stands”. Two of its biggest brands, Johnnie Walker whisky and Captain Morgan rum, had been listed on the Wireless website as partners of the festival.

“We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival,” a spokesperson for the company said.

As of Sunday evening, the festival website still showed Pepsi, Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan as partners. However, a section giving partner details appeared to have been taken offline, displaying instead an error message which read: “There’s nothing to see here.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK, arguing “we need to get tougher on antisemitism” and describing West’s planned appearance as “extremely serious”.

The Home Office has not yet received an application for West to enter the UK, BBC News understands.

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 said: “Personally I wouldn’t buy a ticket.”