Pepsi has pulled out as the long-standing title sponsor of London’s Wireless Festival following the announcement that Kanye West, who performs as Ye, will headline all three nights of the 2026 edition.
The beverage giant, which has sponsored the urban music event since 2015 under the branding “Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless,” confirmed its decision in a brief statement issued on Sunday, April 5, 2026. “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a spokesperson said.
Later the same day, Diageo, the parent company of Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, and Guinness, followed suit, becoming the second major sponsor to step away.
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“We have informed the organisers of our concerns, and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival,” a company representative stated. Other confirmed sponsors, including PayPal, Budweiser, and Beatbox, had not issued statements on the matter as of Sunday evening.
The withdrawals come amid widespread backlash over the booking of Kanye West, who has faced repeated criticism in recent years for antisemitic remarks, including public statements praising Adolf Hitler and posting messages such as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi.”
Wireless Festival organisers announced last week that West would serve as the sole headliner for the entire three-day event, scheduled for July 10 to 12, 2026, at Finsbury Park in north London. The move marks the rapper’s first major UK performance in more than a decade.
The announcement has drawn strong reactions from senior UK political figures and Jewish community leaders. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the booking as “deeply concerning” in comments first reported by The Sun on Sunday.
“It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” Starmer said. “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.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for Kanye West to be banned from entering the United Kingdom altogether.
“The Home Secretary should ban him from coming to this country. We’ve got to take antisemitism more seriously,” Davey said, referencing previous instances in which other countries, including Australia, have barred the rapper.
The Jewish Leadership Council labelled the decision to book West “deeply irresponsible,” warning that the artist has become associated with propagating antisemitism and pro-Nazi messaging.
“Any venue or festival should reconsider before providing their platform to Kanye West to spread his antisemitism,” the group said in a statement.
The rapid sponsor exits and criticism have raised questions about the festival’s commercial viability just months before the event. Festival Republic, the promoters behind Wireless, are yet to issue a public response to the sponsorship withdrawals.