Wireless Festival has lost its primary sponsor after booking Kanye West as this year’s headliner.
On April 5, beverage giant Pepsi withdrew its sponsorship for the London-based music festival over the decision, citing Ye’s history of anti-Semitic comments.
The three-day rap and R&B festival is set to take place in Finsbury Park from July 10 to July 12, and it was being marketed as “Pepsi presents Wireless,” making Pepsi its primary sponsor.
The sponsorship loss comes one week after Wireless Festival announced that the controversial rapper — who now goes by Ye — will headline all three nights. The booking has since sparked widespread criticism, including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Since his last performance in the UK in 2015 for a headlining slot at Glastonbury, the Grammy-winning rapper has been involved in many controversies. In 2022, he was accused of making a series of anti-Semitic remarks on social media and in interviews. Consequently, he was dropped by his lawyer, talent agency, and record label, as well as various fashion brands.
A year later, Ye issued an apology to the Jewish community and went on to blame alcohol for his behaviour. “It [the alcohol] turns us grey. The demons [come out],” he told Candace Owens.
Last week, Ye made his musical comeback with his twelfth studio album, Bully.
