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Brand Risk · Corporate Responsibility · Entertainment Industry · Sponsorship
Pepsi and Diageo have withdrawn their sponsorships from the Wireless Festival in London after Kanye West was announced as the headline act, following widespread condemnation of his antisemitic remarks and a significant public backlash.
Pepsi, the festival's main sponsor, promoted the event as 'Pepsi presents Wireless' but confirmed its withdrawal on Sunday amid criticism, including from the Prime Minister. Diageo, owner of Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan brands, also informed the Press Association on Sunday evening that it would not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival.
The rapper, also known as Ye, has faced extensive criticism in recent years for expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler, releasing a song titled 'Heil Hitler,' and advertising swastika T-shirts. His past actions led to multiple bans from X (formerly Twitter) and drew strong condemnation from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who called his booking 'deeply concerning.' Jewish community organizations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Holocaust Educational Trust, also criticized the festival's decision, citing fears of growing antisemitism in the UK, where incidents like the torching of Jewish community ambulances and an attack on a Manchester synagogue occurred.
In January, West issued a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal, titled 'To Those I’ve Hurt,' stating he is 'not a Nazi or an antisemite' and attributing his behavior to a 'four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior' caused by bipolar disorder. Wireless Festival has been contacted for comment.
The digital bank is closing down its operations in the U.S. in order to focus on growing its business in the U.K. and across Europe.
