Pepsi has pulled its sponsorship from Wireless Festival after U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised concerns about Kanye West headlining the event.
In a brief statement, Pepsi confirmed its exit from the long-running partnership, which had seen the event branded as Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless since 2015.
The decision came just hours after Starmer publicly criticized Ye’s involvement, pointing to his past antisemitic remarks. “It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” he said in a statement to The Sun. “Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
The backlash didn’t stop there. Ed Davey also weighed in, suggesting the artist should be barred from entering the country, saying, “We need to get tougher on antisemitism.”
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan distanced City Hall from the situation. Through a spokesperson, he stated: “We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values. This was a decision taken by the festival organizers and not one that City Hall is involved in.”
The controversy follows a string of incidents involving Ye, including the release of his song “Heil Hitler” last year and previous statements expressing support for Nazism across social media and interviews. He later issued an apology through a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.
