Wireless Festival for London dey face serious wahala dis year after dem announce Kanye West as headliner. Di rapper wey don disgrace himself with plenty antisemitic talk don make big brands like Pepsi, PayPal, and Diageo to run commot dia sponsorship. Na serious blow for di festival wey suppose hold from July 10 to 12 for Finsbury Park.
Kanye West, wey be 48 years old, don face heavy backlash for recent years because of im repeated antisemitic remarks. Im appearance for London annual rap and hip-hop festival suppose be im major musical comeback after im new album “Bully” drop. But di decision to give di Grammy-winning rapper platform don draw condemnation from plenty critics, including di Mayor of London and Jewish leaders wey see am as “deeply troubling.”
Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Wireless Festival organizer Festival Republic, release statement say im acknowledge West past remarks as “abhorrent,” but im defend booking am as headliner. Benn talk say, “Forgiveness and giving people second chance dey become lost virtue for dis divisive world. I ask people to reflect on dia instant comments of disgust and offer some forgiveness and hope to am as I don decide to do.” Benn add say dem no give West platform to extol opinion, only to perform songs wey dey play for radio stations and streaming platforms for our country.
But many of di festival sponsors don face calls to cut ties with di 2026 edition. Pepsi, wey be di festival top sponsor since 2015, don pull im sponsorship. Di popular soda drink branding dey appear across Wireless website, and di event even dey officially call “Pepsi presents Wireless.” On Sunday, Pepsi spokesperson tell The Independent say, “Pepsi don decide to withdraw im sponsorship of Wireless Festival.”
Di decision come after Great British Bake Off star Matt Lucas directly call out di company for supporting di festival. Lucas write for X say, “Have you released song wey dem call ‘Heil Hitler‘? Have you sold T-shirts with swastikas? Have you promise to go ‘death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE’? If so, congratulations! You fit qualify to headline @WirelessFest, sponsored by @pepsiuk.”
Shortly after Pepsi withdraw im support, Diageo, di owner of alcohol brands Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, follow suit. Company spokesperson tell The Associated Press say, “We don inform di organizers of our concerns and as e stand, Diageo no go sponsor di 2026 Wireless festival.”
For di wake of Pepsi and Diageo withdrawn support, Rockstar Energy Drink don also pull im sponsorship. Both Rockstar Energy and Pepsi dey under di same parent company, PepsiCo. Meanwhile, online payment system PayPal no go allow im branding to dey used for promotional material for di festival, BBC report. PayPal be di festival main payment partner, wey sell pre-sale tickets last week for di three-day festival.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, di owner of major beer brand Budweiser and alcohol brand BeatBox, don become di latest sponsor to drop im support from di music festival. AB InBev spokesperson say for statement wey dem share with The Independent say, “We don decide to withdraw our sponsorship of dis year Wireless Festival.”
Other sponsors wey dey list for Wireless website include water brand Drip, and U.K. Big Green Coach. The Independent don contact representatives for each, as well as PayPal, for comment.
West schedule to perform all three days of di festival. Im dey currently on comeback tour and perform for Los Angeles last week. E come on di heels of di rapper wey take out open letter for The Wall Street Journal to apologize for im antisemitism and blame im outbursts on side effects of brain injury, as well as im bipolar disorder. Im write for January say im “lost touch with reality” during di worst of im manic episodes and “gravitated toward di most destructive symbol I fit find, di swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing am.” West add say, “E no excuse wetin I do, though.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also voice concerns over di “Carnival” rapper booking, say e be “deeply concerning” given im past antisemitic comments. For di last couple of years, West don make provocative statements wey praise Hitler and promote antisemitism. For February 2025, im post statements online, including “I be Nazi” and “Some of my best friends be Jewish, and I no trust any of dem.” Di “Vultures 1” rapper also run Super Bowl ad wey direct viewers to online store wey sell $20 T-shirt wey bear swastika signs.
Earlier dis year, di father-of-four seemingly do 180 and take out full-page ad to offer apology for im past behavior and inflammatory comments. For letter wey dem title “To Those I’ve Hurt,” West say im “deeply mortified” by im past behavior and now “committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.” Im attribute im problematic behavior to im bipolar disorder, wey come about as result of doctors failure to diagnose frontal-lobe injury wey im sustain for car crash for 2002.
West further write for im apology say as result of im medical issue, im “lost touch with reality,” prompt am to gravitate toward “di most destructive symbol I fit find, di swastika.” Im note say for early 2025, im experience four-month manic episode of “psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior wey destroy my life” and bring about suicidal ideation.
Di rapper also explain say im read Reddit threads of people like am and realize say im no dey alone, add say medication, therapy, exercise, and “clean living” don help am see things clearly and help am to channel im efforts into making “positive, meaningful art.” Meanwhile, dem don get calls for di Home Secretary to ban West from traveling to di U.K. Downing Street.
Wireless Festival promoter Melvin Benn talk say Kanye West get “legal right to come into di country and to perform” following calls for am to be barred from entering di UK over antisemitism. Benn describe himself as “deeply committed anti-fascist” and “person of forgiveness.” For statement, Benn add say, “Wetin Ye talk for past about Jews and Hitler be as abhorrent to me as e be to di Jewish community, di Prime Minister and others wey don comment and – taking am at im word – to Ye now also.”
Di president of di Board of Deputies of British Jews, Phil Rosenberg, talk say e be “time for Wireless to do di decent thing and rescind invitation dem never suppose offer.” Responding to Benn statement, Rosenberg say, “After week of Wireless Festival wey avoid any media, dis statement no go reassure many within di Jewish or other communities against whom Kanye West invective be directed over longer period than im more recent apology. Di two key facts remain say Kanye West proclaim himself Nazi, and say Wireless stand to benefit financially from im performance.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp talk say West be “guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments” as im urge Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to use im powers under di Immigration Act to refuse am visa. Philp say, “She talk say she want fight antisemitism. We go now find out how serious she really be.”
For post for X, di Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) talk say di Prime Minister don correct to express concern about Wireless decision to book West, but add say Sir Keir “no be bystander.” Dem talk say, “Di Government fit ban anyone from entering di UK wey no be citizen and whose presence go ‘no be conducive to di public good.’ Surely dis be clear case.”
Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell don also call for West to be banned, say im “no suppose allow to come to our country to perform for light of di antisemitic comments wey im talk and record.” Pepsi and Diageo don withdraw dia sponsorship of di festival after West announcement as headline act and no brands appear as visible sponsors for Wireless Festival official website on Monday evening.
West, wey no perform for UK since im headline Glastonbury for 2015, don draw widespread criticism for recent years after im begin voice admiration for Adolf Hitler, and don make series of antisemitic remarks. Last year, im release song wey dem call Heil Hitler, few months after advertising swastika T-shirt for sale for im website. Di musician, wey dem also know as Ye, don bar from X over antisemitism on multiple occasions.
E dey understood say di Mayor of London office refuse permission for London Stadium, for Stratford, to stage Kanye West concert dis summer, with sources cite community concerns and di reputational impact on di city. Di 48-year-old rapper scheduled appearance come amid fears of growing antisemitism for UK. For March, four ambulances from Jewish community-run service dem set on fire for north-west London. Two men and 17-year-old boy dem remand for custody on Saturday after dem appear for court accuse of torching di vehicles.
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