Pepsi, British Beverage Brand Diageo Drop Sponsorship of Longtime Music Festival After It Announces Kanye West as Headliner

A three-day music festival set at London is now to go on without its chief sponsors, Pepsi and liquor maker Diageo, which are pulling their longtime support for the show because it is headlining noted antisemite Kanye West, now on another “comeback” tour.Pepsi made the decision after the Wireless Festival, which advertises as “Pepsi Presents Wireless,” announced last week that Mr. West, who now goes legally by the name Ye, would be the top act on all three nights of the July 10-12 event.“Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a spokesman told the Independent newspaper. Mega spirits brand Diageo, the British company known for products like Johnnie Walker whiskey, Bailey’s liqueur, and Cîroc vodka — made famous by Mr. West’s friend, Sean Diddy Combs, also confirmed to The New York Sun that it was dropping its support.“We have informed the organizers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival,” a Diageo spokesperson said. The decision followed comments made by several political figures, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Parliamentarian Ed Davey, who called for the Home Office to ban Ye from entering the country.“It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” Mr. Starmer told Britain’s Sun newspaper. “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.”“We’ve got to take antisemitism more seriously. We can’t have people like him with a horrible song coming,” Mr. Davey said in remarks broadcast on ITV of Mr. West’s song entitled “Heil Hitler.” “We need to get tougher on antisemitism.”After a long history of spouting antisemitic remarks, including declaring himself a Nazi, selling t-shirts with swastikas, and writing a song called “Heil Hitler,” Mr. West, who has claimed brain damage following a car wreck and bipolar disorder, issued an apology in a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal in January.“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people,” he said in the ad, adding he is full of “regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”The apology, which preceded by days the release of his latest album, is not his first to the Jewish community. A 2023 statement of remorse also preceded an album release by two weeks.That album, Vultures 1, and Bully, released in 2026, received critical acclaim and shot up the charts. Vultures 1, released on his own label and featuring multiple hip hop artists, debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, his 11th such feat, while Bully, produced by Gamma records, entered at No. 2 on the same chart. The multiplatinum recording artist also launched a sold-out solo show at Los Angeles to accompany the latest album. If it enacted Mr. Davey’s threat, the United Kingdom would be the second country to ban Mr. West following Australia. While bans are limited, Mr. West has been forced to cancel concerts in other countries, including South Korea, Brazil, and multiple European nations, for his promotion of Nazi ideology.Pepsi’s decision to pull support is a surprise for the festival, which has featured the international brand as its chief sponsor since 2015. Diageo, which began its relationship with the festival just last year, did not offer additional comment on its decision.On Sunday, the festival’s X handle still listed PepsiUK as its sponsor with a link out to a purchase page for tickets that leads to Mr. West’s website. The festival’s website has not announced any other acts for the summer show in Finsbury Park.

Pepsi, British Beverage Brand Diageo Drop Sponsorship of Longtime Music Festival After It Announces Kanye West as Headliner

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