Major sponsors Pepsi and Diageo have pulled out from London’s Wireless Festival amidst backlash over Ye (a.k.a. Kanye West) headlining the event.
The two brands withdrew from the music festival following the British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, speaking to The Sun on April 5 about how “deeply concerning” it was that West would be headlining Wireless, despite his “previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent,” said Starmer, “and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
Over the past several years, Ye has gained notoriety for his public glorification of Nazis. In 2022, brands such as Gap, Balenciaga, and Adidas cut ties with the rapper, citing his antisemitic comments as a major reason for their decision. In 2025, Ye began selling $20 swastika-decorated T-shirts on his website before releasing a track titled “Heil Hitler.”
Ye has since directly acknowledged his past remarks. Earlier this January, he took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal to formally apologize for his past behavior and to admit that his bipolar type-1 diagnosis had significantly impacted his judgement. “I lost touch with reality,” wrote Ye. “Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret.”
Ye’s latest album, Bully, currently holds the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, just behind BTS’ Arirang. Bully brought in more than 33.2 million streams on Spotify in the days following its release, along with two sold-out concerts at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.
As of writing, Ye has yet to comment on the Wireless Festival controversy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pepsi and Diageo pulled their sponsorship from London’s Wireless Festival following backlash over Ye headlining the event. The withdrawals came after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly called Ye’s presence “deeply concerning” given his history of antisemitic remarks.
Starmer told The Sun that Ye’s “previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism” made his headlining slot deeply concerning, adding that antisemitism “must be confronted firmly wherever it appears” and that Jewish people must feel safe in Britain.
In 2022, brands including Gap, Balenciaga, and Adidas cut ties with Ye over antisemitic comments. In 2025, he sold swastika-decorated T-shirts on his website and released a track titled “Heil Hitler,” further fueling backlash against him.
Yes. In January, Ye took out a full-page Wall Street Journal ad apologizing for his past behavior, writing that he “lost touch with reality” and attributing his actions in part to the impact of his bipolar type-1 diagnosis on his judgment.
Despite the Wireless Festival backlash, “Bully” holds the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200, trailing BTS’s “Arirang.” The album drew over 33.2 million Spotify streams shortly after release and sold out two shows at LA’s SoFi Stadium.
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