Pepsi withdraws Wireless sponsorship amid backlash to Kanye West booking
Pepsi has withdrawn from sponsoring London’s Wireless Festival following backlash to the decision to book Kanye West.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the soft drinks company told Far Out, “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.”
The backlash has arisen due to West’s history of antisemitism, including declaring that he was a Nazi on social media, saying he was “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE”, selling swastika t-shirts and releasing a song titled ‘Heil Hitler’ in 2025.
His upcoming performances at Wireless, which will see him headline three consecutive nights of the Finsbury Park festival, are due to be his first UK performances in more than a decade.
Pepsi’s decision to pull out of the event comes after days of political leaders in the UK condemning Wireless for hosting West.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told The Sun on Sunday, “It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
Starmer continued, “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.”
Additionally, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for Britain to follow Australia’s lead and ban West from entering the country, stating, “The Home Secretary should ban him from coming to this country.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was the first major political voice to condemn the booking, distancing West from his city’s values. He said, “The past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values.”
After Wireless announced Kanye as a headliner, Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), the UK’s leading charity fighting antisemitism, criticised the booking in exclusive comments made to Far Out.
A spokesperson for the charity said, “Kanye West has dedicated years of his life to trying to incite his followers to hate Jews. He has more followers than there are Jews on Earth, so his incitement has a huge impact. His cycle of apology and relapse has become a routine, so as with any addict once again we must wait to see if this time is any different.”
Other notable commercial partners of Wireless include Rockstar Energy, Captain Morgan, Budweiser, Johnnie Walker, and PayPal, who, as of writing, have yet to withdraw.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.