Wireless Festival is facing a massive financial blow after its headline sponsor, Pepsi, walked away from the event. The fallout comes on the heels of the festival’s decision to book Ye for a three-night stint at Finsbury Park this summer.
The partnership, which previously saw the event branded as “Pepsi presents Wireless,” dissolved almost immediately after the controversial rapper was announced as the main attraction. A Pepsi spokesperson broke the news to ITV News, stating, “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.
The controversy stems from West’s repeated public displays of antisemitism and his vocal praise for Adolf Hitler. These actions have drawn fire from the very top of the UK government, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking out against the festival’s choice to give West a platform.
“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.”
The rapper’s recent track record includes the release of a song titled “Heil Hitler” and attempts to market clothing featuring Swastikas.
While West did purchase a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year to offer an apology, critics like Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, argue that the apology doesn’t excuse the festival’s decision, calling the booking “absolutely the wrong decision.”
In that January apology, West tried to explain that his bipolar disorder triggered “a four month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life.”
Despite that explanation, the branding risk proved too high for Pepsi, leaving the festival to scramble for a new partner.