Pressure grows to block Kanye West from UK as multiple sponsors drop out of Wireless Festival
Multiple sponsors have now pulled out as the backlash to Kanye West being booked for Wireless Festival continues.
It was announced last week that the rapper would be headlining all three nights of the London music festival this July.
And as the Prime Minister described this decision as ‘deeply concerning’, pressure is growing for Ye to be blocked from entering the UK.
Both the organisers of Wireless and the rapper are yet to comment on the criticism, that comes widely as a result of his previous antisemitic comments.
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West has not performed in the UK since Glastonbury in 2015 and in recent years began to voice admiration for Adolf Hitler – releasing a song last year called ‘Heil Hitler’ and advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his site.
Ye has been barred from X over antisemitism on multiple occasions.
Back in January, he took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal to apologise, titled: “To Those I’ve Hurt.”
“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” it read. “I love Jewish people.”
In his letter, Ye said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into ‘a four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life’.
"I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he wrote.
It’s understood that the Mayor of London’s office previously refused permission for the London Stadium to stage a Kanye West concert this summer.
Calls on the Home Secretary
A number of politicians and campaign groups have urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to ban West from coming to the UK.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the rapper was ‘guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments’ as he urged Mahmood to use her powers under the Immigration Act to refuse him a visa.
He said: “She says she wants to fight antisemitism. We will now find out how serious she really is.”
Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell said West ‘should not be allowed to come to our country to perform in the light of the antisemitic comments that he has made and recorded’.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said on X: “The Government can ban anyone from entering the UK who is not a citizen and whose presence would ‘not be conducive to the public good’.
“Surely this is a clear case.”
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid wrote on X that while Ye’s ‘mental health challenges’ should be ‘met with sympathy’, the booking is ‘disgraceful’.
He added: “I’m certain the Home Secretary will want to use her powers and block Kanye West from the UK.”
Sponsors pull out
Pepsi withdrew its sponsorship of Wireless Festival yesterday, having been the main sponsor.
The event had been promoted under the branding ‘Pepsi presents Wireless’ but a spokesperson for the soft drinks company said: “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.”
And by the evening, it was confirmed that Diageo, owner of the Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan brands, had also withdrawn.
A spokesperson said: “We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival.”
Earlier today, it was reported that PayPal (a payment partner for the festival) will not appear in any of its future promotional materials.
As reported by Far Out Magazine, Rockstar Energy is also removing its sponsorship from the Festival.
Sir Keir Starmer’s criticism
As first reported by The Sun on Sunday, the Prime Minister 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. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and secure.”
The LADbible Group has contacted Wireless Festival and representatives for Ye for comment.
If you are the victim of an antisemitic incident or you have information regarding an antisemitic incident that happened to somebody else, contact the CST National Emergency Number on 0800 032 3263. In an emergency, always call 999.
Topics: Kanye West, Music, London
Jess Battison