PepsiCo, AB InBev and Diageo have pulled their sponsorship of Wireless Festival, amid widespread criticism of the decision to book US rapper Kanye West to headline the London music festival.
The soft drinks brand Pepsi was originally a main sponsor for the festival, with the three-day event in July in Finsbury Park billed as ‘Pepsi presents Wireless Festival’.
However, in a statement issued over the weekend, PepsiCo announced it was dropping its support for Wireless, following the decision to book West as its headline artist.
“Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a statement from PepsiCo said.
Booze giant Diageo also announced it was withdrawing support from the event on Monday (6 April).
The supplier, which owns brands including Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, said: “We have informed the organisers of our concerns, and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival.”
An AB InBev spokesperson added the group had also “decided to withdraw” from sponsoring Wireless. The brewer’s Budweiser and BeatBox brands had been set to feature across the festival.
West has made a series of antisemitic remarks in recent years, which he has blamed on having bipolar disorder. Last year he was banned from entering Australia after releasing a song titled ‘Heil Hitler’.
He also declared himself a Nazi and sold t-shirts featuring a swastika on his online clothing website.
West has apologised for past antisemitic comments, claiming he had “lost touch with reality”.
“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state,” he added.
Campaigners have also called for West to be barred from entering the UK to perform at Wireless, following his remarks.
Wireless organiser Festival Republic said West’s previous comments were “abhorrent” but defended booking the rapper as headliner.
Melvin Benn, Festival Republic MD, said: “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world, and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him, as I have decided to do.
“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country, and listened to and enjoyed by millions.”
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