By Zoe Papadakis | Monday, April 6, 2026, 11:05 AM EDT
Major sponsors have withdrawn from the U.K.’s Wireless Festival 2026 following the decision to book rapper Kanye West as its sole headliner for all three days of the event.
Pepsi, the festival’s primary sponsor, confirmed its withdrawal on Monday. Diageo, whose portfolio includes Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff, and Ciroc, also announced it would no longer participate. A Diageo spokesperson stated that the company had informed organizers of concerns and would not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival.
The sponsorship decisions follow mounting criticism of West over antisemitic remarks made in recent years. His selection as the sole headliner for the July 10–12 event at London’s Finsbury Park has drawn significant backlash. The festival, one of the U.K.’s largest annual events attracting up to 150,000 attendees, is a major platform in British entertainment. West last performed in Britain in 2015 when he headlined Glastonbury.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the booking, stating: “It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism urged authorities to prevent West from entering the country, noting in a statement: “The Prime Minister is right to be deeply concerned that @WirelessFest wants to headline someone whose anti-Jewish bigotry has gone as far as recording a track titled ‘Heil Hitler’ less than a year ago.”
Earlier this year, West addressed past conduct in a prominent advertisement, writing: “I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret.” He has also discussed his mental health, having previously stated he had bipolar disorder but later clarified that he was misdiagnosed and now identifies as autistic.
