Wireless Festival has been hit by a second major sponsorship blow, with drinks giant Diageo confirming it has withdrawn support just hours after Pepsi pulled its long-running partnership in response to Kanye West’s headline booking.
Diageo — the company behind brands including Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan — told ITV News it had raised concerns directly with organisers.
A spokesperson said: “We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival.”
The announcement followed Pepsi’s decision to remove its name from the event, ending a branding relationship that has been in place since 2015. In a statement to Billboard, a spokesperson said: “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.”
The twin exits came shortly after British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer publicly criticised the festival’s decision to book Kanye — who is set to headline all three nights from July 10–12 — citing the rapper’s past antisemitic remarks.
Starmer said: “It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism. Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears.”
Kanye’s appearance has sparked significant backlash from community groups, including the UK’s Jewish Leadership Council, which described the booking as “deeply irresponsible.”
Speaking to Billboard, the organisation said: “The UK Jewish community is facing record levels of antisemitism, including a terrorist attack in Manchester, the attack on ambulances in Golders Green and foiled plots which would have killed many more.”
The controversy comes just months after Kanye issued a lengthy public apology in the Wall Street Journal, addressing both the Jewish and Black communities and reflecting on a period of severe mental health crisis.
In the statement, he wrote: “I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret… In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika… I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”
Kanye, who released his latest album Bully on March 28, said he is focusing on “positive, meaningful art” and added: “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass… I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
With two major sponsors now gone and public criticism continuing, Wireless Festival faces mounting pressure just months before the gates open.
