Hip Hop/Rap
Wireless Festival loses two major sponsors after backlash over Kanye West booking
Wireless Festival has lost two major sponsors after backlash over Kanye West being booked to headline all three nights of the 2026 event.
Wireless Festival has suffered a second major sponsorship blow, with drinks giant Diageo pulling its support just hours after Pepsi ended its long‑running partnership in response to Kanye West being announced as the 2026 headliner.
Diageo — whose brands include Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan — confirmed it had raised concerns directly with organisers.
A spokesperson told ITV News: “We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival.”
The move followed Pepsi’s decision to remove its name from the event, ending a branding relationship that has been in place since 2015.
In a statement to Billboard, the company said: “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.”
Both exits came shortly after British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer publicly criticised the festival’s decision to book Kanye — who is scheduled to headline all three nights from July 10–12 — referencing the rapper’s past antisemitic remarks.
Starmer said: “It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism. Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears.”
Community groups have also voiced concern.
The UK’s Jewish Leadership Council described the booking as “deeply irresponsible”, telling Billboard: “The UK Jewish community is facing record levels of antisemitism, including a terrorist attack in Manchester, the attack on ambulances in Golders Green and foiled plots which would have killed many more.”
The controversy arrives only months after Kanye issued a lengthy public apology in the Wall Street Journal, addressing both the Jewish and Black communities and reflecting on a period of severe mental health crisis.
In the statement, he wrote: “I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret… In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika… I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”
Kanye — who released his latest album Bully on March 28 — added that he is focusing on “positive, meaningful art”, saying: “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass… I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
