Pepsi Pulls U.K. Festival Sponsorship Amid Kanye Ye West Booking
Pepsi has reportedly withdrawn its sponsorship of the Wireless Festivalin London amid the booking of controversial rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye. The “Runaway” artist, who has been at the center of criticism in recent years for several antisemitic remarks and releasing a song called “Heil Hitler,” is set to headline all three nights…
Pepsi has reportedly withdrawn its sponsorship of the Wireless Festivalin London amid the booking of controversial rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye.
The “Runaway” artist, who has been at the center of criticism in recent years for several antisemitic remarks and releasing a song called “Heil Hitler,” is set to headline all three nights of the U.K. festival this summer, which runs from July 10-12.
A spokesperson for Pepsi, which has been a long-standing partner and headline sponsor of the Wireless Festival for several years, wrote in a statement, “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship ofWireless festival,” the BBC reported. The beverage company didn’t share details on its reason for pulling its sponsorship, but the decision came after West’s booking.
However, as of Sunday morning, Pepsi was still listed as a headline sponsor on the festival’s website.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Pepsi for comment.
The U.K. festival has already faced criticism over West’s planned performances, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He told The Sun newspaper, “It is deeply concerning thatKanye Westhas been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.
“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and secure,” Starmer added.
West has been performing a limited number of shows on his 2026 Ye World Tour, in support of his new albumBully. His most recent concert was at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 3, which drew backlash but also support from thousands of fans.
The “Heartless” artist has been widely condemned for his antisemitic rhetoric in recent years. In addition to his “Heil Hitler” song, he also used a Super Bowl ad in 2025 to direct viewers to his Yeezy website that had swastika-emblazoned t-shirts.West has since apologized for his antisemitic statements in an ad in theWall Street Journal earlier this year, but hasn’t addressed the controversy any further.
