kanye west is at the center of a fast-moving sponsorship crisis after Pepsi said it was withdrawing as main sponsor of Wireless Festival in London this summer. Diageo has also pulled its support, while criticism grows over the decision to book the rapper, who is set to headline all three days of the event in July. The backlash intensified after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the booking deeply concerning and said antisemitism must be confronted firmly wherever it appears.
Pepsi exits as pressure builds around kanye west
Pepsi’s exit came after the festival was announced with kanye west, also known as Ye, as the headline act. The festival is marketed as Pepsi presents Wireless, making the sponsorship withdrawal a major blow to the event’s branding and commercial setup.
Diageo, which owns Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, said it has informed organisers of its concerns and will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival as it stands. As of Sunday evening, the festival website still displayed Pepsi, Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan as partners, although a partner-details page appeared to have been replaced by an error message.
Political reaction sharpens over kanye west booking
Sir Keir said West had been booked despite previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism. In a direct warning, the prime minister said everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called for the government to ban West from entering the UK and said the issue was extremely serious. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said people who make antisemitic statements should not be platformed, while Nigel Farage said he personally would not buy a ticket.
The Jewish Leadership Council has already condemned Wireless for booking the rapper, describing the organisers’ conduct as deeply irresponsible. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said it was absolutely the wrong decision to allow West to perform.
What the current UK position means
The Home Office has not yet received an application for West to enter the UK, and the musician is understood not to have applied at this stage. UK immigration rules allow entry to be refused if a person’s character, conduct or associations are judged to pose a threat to UK society.
That means the next stage may hinge on whether any application is made and how authorities assess it. For now, kanye west remains the focal point of a widening dispute that has already cost Wireless two major sponsors and placed the festival under intense political and public scrutiny.
