A growing firestorm of controversy surrounding Kanye West, the 48-year-old US rapper legally renamed Ye, has forced two of the world’s biggest beverage brands to pull their sponsorship of London’s 2026 Wireless Festival, where the hip-hop star is scheduled to headline three nights this July as part of a controversial European comeback tour.
PepsiCo, the festival’s lead sponsor, confirmed to AFP on Sunday that it would exit its sponsorship partnership, declining to provide further public comment on the decision. Spirit and alcohol giant Diageo, whose brands Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan were listed as official event partners, also followed suit. A Diageo spokesperson told reporters the company had shared its concerns with event organizers and would not participate in the 2026 edition of the festival.
The backlash against West’s booked performance has drawn condemnation from the highest levels of UK politics. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly voiced deep concern over the booking, telling The Sun newspaper that it is alarming that West was added to the lineup despite his long record of harmful antisemitic remarks and open celebration of Nazism. “Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly,” Starmer added.
This is not the first wave of criticism sparked by West’s Wireless appearance. When organizers first announced the booking via social media last month, Jewish advocacy groups and London Mayor Sadiq Khan immediately issued condemnations. On Sunday, leading UK antisemitism advocacy charity Campaign Against Antisemitism amplified pressure on the prime minister, urging him to reject a role as a bystander and formally block West from entering the United Kingdom. The organization argued on social platform X that West meets the criteria for an entry ban as a non-citizen whose presence would not be “conducive to the public good.”
West’s planned European tour has already sparked similar controversies across the continent. In France, the mayor of Marseille declared the rapper “not welcome” for a scheduled June concert in the city.
West has a long documented history of inflammatory antisemitic public remarks, most recently drawing widespread outrage in May 2025 when he released a song titled “Heil Hitler” to mark the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II. The track was quickly removed and banned from all major music streaming platforms. In past statements, West has expressed vague regret for his antisemitic outbursts, claiming they were a side effect of his bipolar disorder diagnosis.
As of Sunday, Live Nation, the multinational entertainment company that operates Wireless Festival, has not responded to multiple requests for comment from AFP on the withdrawal of sponsors and ongoing controversy.