Kanye ‘Ye’ West, who has previously been criticised over his antisemitic remarks, will top the bill for all three nights of the upcoming Wireless Festival in the UK. The Prime Minister has expressed concerns over this booking, and several top tier sponsors are already backing out...
Following the release of his twelfth studio album ‘Bully’, American rapper and controversy magnet Kanye ‘Ye’ West has been booked to headline all three nights of the Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park this summer.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The trio of July dates have been described as a three-night journey through his “most iconic records”.
The dates are West’s first UK performance in more than a decade – as well as his first London festival headline set since he topped the bill at Wireless in 2014.
However, there’s already some pushback, as West’s presence in the UK is proving to be divisive.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised Wireless Festival for allowing Kanye West to headline, calling his booking “concerning”.
“It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” he said. “Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears.”
He added: “Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and secure.”
The move to have West headline this summer has also been criticised by various groups including the Jewish Leadership Council and Campaign Against Anti-Semitism. The former called the decision to book West “deeply irresponsible.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan also criticised the booking, stating: “We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values”.
The comments Khan is referring to could fill several weighty tomes.
West’s anti-Semitic remarks began in 2022, when he made a series of offensive comments on social media which ended up getting him booted off both X and Instagram. The musician was dropped by his talent agency and fashion brands like Adidas and Balenciaga also distanced themselves from West.
West went on to post a picture of KKK robes, rescind his previous apology to the Jewish community, declare himself “a Nazi” and assert that he has“dominion over his wife”.
In February 2025, West started selling swastika t-shirts, and in May, he released a song titled ‘Heil Hitler’, which praised the Nazi leader. This led him to be stripped of a visa to enter Australia and faced with immediate arrest in Brazil.
West has since apologised for his actions and took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year in order to apologise for his past antisemitic comments, reflecting on a "four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour" and saying that he “lost touch with reality.”
Still, many questioned the timing of his apology, considering the release of ‘Bully’, and his past comments have led to various countries banning his performances. The most recent is France, as the mayor of the southern city of Marseille, France's second-biggest city, stated he does not want West anywhere near his city.
To make matters more uncertain for West’s upcoming UK performances, several festival sponsors have started to back out – including Wireless’ primary sponsor Pepsi. The festival had officially been known as “Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless,” as part of a partnership that had been in place since 2015.
A Pepsi spokesperson said: "Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival."
Diageo, owner of Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, said on Sunday evening it 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."
At the time of publication, the Wireless Festival website is still advertising West’s headline billing and continues to tout Pepsi’s sponsorship.
“Pepsi MAX presents Wireless returns to Finsbury Park on the 10-12 July 2026,” reads the text on the main page.
