Summary:
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Pepsi, Diageo, and Rockstar Energy withdraw sponsorship from Wireless festival after Kanye West’s controversial headlining announcement. PayPal also pulls out.
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UK Prime Minister and advocacy groups condemn West’s past behavior, including antisemitic remarks. Calls for ban on his UK entry.
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Remaining sponsors for Wireless festival include Budweiser, Beatbox, and Drip. Future of the event uncertain following recent controversies.
Pepsi, which had served as the festival’s headline sponsor since 2015 under the branding “Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless,” confirmed its withdrawal on Sunday after Kanye West was announced as the sole headliner for all three nights of the July event.
Hours later, spirits giant Diageo, parent company of Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, followed suit, saying it had “informed the organizers of our concerns” and would not sponsor the 2026 festival. Rockstar Energy has since become the third brand to withdraw, with PayPal also confirming it will no longer allow its branding to be associated with the event.
West is scheduled to headline all three nights of Wireless at Finsbury Park in London on July 10 to 12, his first UK performance in over a decade. The booking has drawn swift condemnation from politicians and advocacy groups. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the decision “deeply concerning,” citing West’s previous antisemitic remarks and what he described as a “celebration of Nazism.” The Campaign Against Antisemitism has called on the government to ban West from entering the country, noting that as a non-citizen, his entry could be denied if his presence is deemed not “conducive to the public good.”
West took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year apologizing for past behavior, writing “I lost touch with reality” and expressing regret over his use of Nazi imagery. He has not publicly commented on the Wireless controversy.
Remaining festival sponsors include Budweiser, Beatbox, and Drip. The festival’s future is now in question.
