Full story
Pepsi Ends Sponsorship
Pepsi withdrew as the main sponsor of Wireless Festival just days after announcing Kanye West as the sole headliner.
“Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was deeply concerning that West was booked despite his previous antisemitic remarks.
The timing of Pepsi's withdrawal left no doubt about the reason despite no explicit citation.
The festival's website still touted Pepsi's involvement at the time of the announcement.
Starmer and Political Pressure
Starmer's intervention marked an extraordinary level of political involvement in a cultural event.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism urged the prime minister to ban West from entering the country.
The Home Office had not yet received an application for West to enter the UK.
West's European tour had already provoked cancellations and protests.
Festival and Artist Fallout
The Wireless Festival had been co-branded with Pepsi since 2015.
“PepsiCo faced backlash for sponsoring a festival featuring Kanye West due to his controversial history”
Other partners included Budweiser, PayPal, and Beatbox.
The booking had drawn criticism from Jewish organizations and political figures.
Pepsi's retreat was the highest-profile corporate divestment since Adidas ended its Yeezy partnership.