Sponsors are exiting a major U.K. music festival and the country’s prime minister has been critical after the influential rapper Ye was announced as the event’s headliner.
The once widely revered musician and fashion impresario, formerly known as Kanye West, has gained notoriety over the years for his antisemitic comments and activities glorifying Nazis, including a 2025 song called “Heil Hitler” and selling swastika T-shirts on his clothing site.
Yet organizers announced last week that West would headline the Wireless Festival in North London for the entirety of its three-night run in July, invoking outrage from politicians and withdrawals from festival sponsors. Those include Diageo, the company that owns popular liquor brands such as Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan.
In a statement emailed to NPR, Diageo confirmed that it will no longer sponsor the 2026 festival “as it stands.”
Pepsi, another company that reportedly pulled sponsorship, did not respond to NPR’s request for comment, nor did the Festival Republic team handling publicity for the shows. However, Pepsi confirmed to The Associated Press and others that it was withdrawing from its lead sponsor role.
The festival, which plays in Finsbury Park, is a major rap and hiphop event in the U.K. that draws tens of thousands of attendees each year.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those expressing distaste for the headliner selection. “It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” he told the newspaper The Sun on Sunday. “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.”
Earlier this year, the artist took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his antisemitic behavior — not for the first time. Ye has attributed his outbursts to manic episodes due to bipolar disorder. He has not commented publicly on the Wireless Festival controversy.
The musician is attempting to resuscitate his once-storied career. He recently sold out two shows in Los Angeles following the release of his new album Bully, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 charts.
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