Pepsi and Diageo have withdrawn their sponsorship of the 2026 Wireless Festival after Kanye West was announced as the headline act for the three-day event.
Pepsi, the festival’s main sponsor, confirmed it would no longer support the event, which is scheduled to take place at Finsbury Park in London from July 10 to 12.
Diageo, owner of brands including Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff, Ciroc, Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker, also announced it would not sponsor the festival.
The decision follows criticism over West’s history of antisemitic remarks and controversial statements.
Festival organisers recently revealed that West, also known as Ye, would headline all three days of the event. It would be his first major performance in the UK since headlining Glastonbury in 2015.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticised the move, saying it was deeply concerning that West had been booked despite his previous antisemitic comments and praise for Nazism.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism also called for West to be barred from entering the UK, arguing that his presence would not be in the public interest.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the festival should not profit from racism and claimed the decision breached its own values on discrimination.
The controversy is the latest in a string of setbacks for West. In 2022, Adidas, Balenciaga, TJ Maxx and Gap ended their partnerships with him after he made antisemitic remarks and wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt.
West was also suspended from X in 2022 for violating rules on inciting violence, although his account was restored in 2023.
