Pepsi ends sponsorship of UK festival where Kanye West was set to headline

Pepsi has announced it is ending its sponsorship of a UK music festival headlined by Kanye West, after Keir Starmer condemned him over previous antisemitic remarks. This is reported by Variety, writes UNN.

Details

Pepsi, as a festival sponsor, announced its withdrawal from a partnership with Wireless that has lasted over a decade.

"Pepsi has decided to end its sponsorship of the Wireless festival," the brief statement said.

The official name of the festival — Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless — was associated with a partnership agreement that had been in effect since 2015.

While many music fans welcomed the rapper's return to the stage, Pepsi also featured in outraged tweets protesting the company's apparent support for his performance as the sole headliner.

The Wireless festival website still features an announcement of Kanye West's performance and continues to advertise Pepsi's sponsorship.

"Pepsi MAX presents Wireless returns to Finsbury Park on July 10-12, 2026," reads the text on the homepage.

A link to tickets on the website shows that sales are due to begin on Tuesday, April 7.

Although Pepsi's statement did not mention the rapper's name, it came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer commented on Kanye West's performance. The politician stated that he was "deeply concerned that Kanye West had been invited" to the festival and recalled his previous antisemitic comments.

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