14 hours ago
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Pepsi has withdrawn its sponsorship of the 2026 Wireless Festival in London following criticism regarding Kanye West’s scheduled 3 night headline performances.
The decision came after significant backlash from political figures, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Mayor Sadiq Khan, as well as Jewish leaders and comedian Matt Lucas.
The British politicians are condemning Kanye West’s upcoming performance at Wireless Festival in July, following renewed scrutiny of his past antisemitic remarks. Khan has publicly distanced City Hall from the event after the festival announced West as a headliner for July 10–12—his first UK performances in over a decade, stating that the artist’s previous comments are “offensive and wrong” and “not reflective of London’s values,” while emphasizing that the booking was solely the decision of festival organizers.
The announcement sparked immediate backlash from the Jewish Leadership Council, which called the decision “deeply irresponsible” and urged venues to reconsider offering him a platform. West, who is promoting his new album Bully and returning to live performances, including shows in Los Angeles, recently issued a public apology, saying he “said and did things [he] deeply regret[s]” and attributing his past behavior to a mental health episode. He insisted the apology was genuine, adding, “This isn’t about reviving my commerciality… I owe a huge apology.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also weighed in, calling the booking “deeply concerning” in light of West’s past controversies. Speaking to The Sun, Starmer condemned the decision to platform the artist, citing his history of antisemitic remarks and prior praise of Nazism, and stressed that “antisemitism in any form is abhorrent” and must be firmly confronted.
West faced widespread backlash in 2022 after making offensive statements, including expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler, and further controversy followed when he released merchandise featuring a swastika and recorded a song titled “Heil Hitler.” He later issued a public apology in a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal, acknowledging his actions and linking them in part to bipolar disorder, while denying that he identifies as a Nazi or antisemite and committing to change.
Despite the ongoing controversy, West’s commercial success in the UK remains strong. His latest album BULLY debuted at No. 3 on the UK Official Albums Chart, adding to a track record that includes three No. 1 albums and nine top 10 projects in the region.
West staged two sod out concerts on Los Angeles at the SOFI Stadium last weekend with over 80,000 people attendance each night.
English (US) ·