Controversy over Kanye West's booking at Wireless Festival amid antisemitism backlash
Consensus Summary
Kanye West’s booking as headliner for Wireless Festival in London from July 10–12, 2025, has sparked widespread controversy due to his history of antisemitic remarks, including a 2024 song titled *Heil Hitler* and the sale of swastika merchandise. Multiple Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies of British Jews, condemned the decision, calling it irresponsible amid rising antisemitism in the UK, such as the arson attack on Jewish ambulances in March 2025 and the October 2024 synagogue shooting in Manchester. Major sponsors like Pepsi and Diageo have withdrawn support, though their logos remain on the festival’s website, while PayPal is pulling back from promotional materials. UK leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, have criticized the booking, with some calling for West to be banned from entering the country. West’s 2025 apology in the *Wall Street Journal*, attributing his behavior to bipolar disorder, has been met with skepticism given his subsequent actions. The festival organizers have not publicly responded to the backlash, and the event remains scheduled despite growing pressure to cancel it.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Kanye West (Ye) is headlining Wireless Festival in London from July 10–12, 2025, his first UK performance in 11 years
- Wireless Festival is located at Finsbury Park, north London
- Pepsi and Diageo have withdrawn sponsorship of Wireless Festival due to West’s booking
- PayPal will not appear in future Wireless promotional materials
- West released a song titled *Heil Hitler* in 2024, following the sale of swastika T-shirts on his website
- West was barred from entering Australia in 2025 after *Heil Hitler* release
- West apologized in January 2025 via a full-page *Wall Street Journal* ad, citing bipolar disorder as a cause for antisemitic remarks
- Wireless Festival is organized by Festival Republic, part of Live Nation
- Four Jewish ambulances were set on fire in Golders Green, London, in March 2025
- Two men were killed in a synagogue attack in Manchester, UK, in October 2024
- Wireless Festival’s official website still displays Pepsi and Diageo as sponsors despite withdrawals
- West’s 12th album, *Bully*, was released on June 2025 and reportedly received 33 million streams in its first 24 hours
- Keir Starmer called West’s booking ‘deeply concerning’ due to his antisemitic remarks and Nazi associations
- Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat leader) called for West to be banned from entering the UK
- The Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies of British Jews condemned the booking as irresponsible
- West was banned from X (Twitter) multiple times for antisemitic posts
- Wireless Festival is sponsored by Budweiser and PayPal, though PayPal is withdrawing from promotional materials
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Chris Philp (Tory MP) wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to prevent West from entering the UK
- Rachael Maskell (Labour MP) told BBC Radio 4’s *Today* program West should be banned from the UK
- Wireless Festival’s cancellation is raised as a possibility due to West’s booking
- Wireless Festival’s official website prominently displays Pepsi and Diageo as sponsors despite withdrawals
- West has not performed in the UK since Glastonbury in 2015
- Wireless Festival organizers offered no comment when contacted by the Guardian
- Adidas ended its partnership with West in 2022 over antisemitic comments
- Community Security Trust reported a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks after the Manchester synagogue attack
- Union of Jewish Students said antisemitism had ‘become normalised’ on UK campuses
- Two men were arrested and released on bail in connection with the arson attack on Jewish ambulances
- Wireless Festival’s spokesperson described West’s UK comeback as an ‘extraordinary chapter’ in the festival’s story
- Sadiq Khan’s office stated the festival booking was ‘not reflective of London’s values’
- Wireless Festival is sponsored by Pepsi, with no explicit mention of other sponsors’ withdrawals
- Wireless Festival’s press release described West’s performances as a ‘three-night journey through his most iconic records’
- Freedom of Information papers show West’s team sought to reverse Australia’s entry ban
- West’s wife, Bianca Censori, is from Melbourne, Australia
- West’s X posts include ‘death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE’
- West apologized in 2023 but later took it back
- Wireless Festival is due to attract about 150,000 attendees over three days
- West performed a sold-out concert in Los Angeles on June 2025, his first major US show in nearly five years
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Guardian Article 1 states Pepsi and Diageo withdrew sponsorship but their logos remain on the festival’s official website, while ABC does not mention Diageo’s withdrawal explicitly
- Guardian Article 2 claims West’s apology in the *Wall Street Journal* was followed by selling swastika T-shirts and releasing *Heil Hitler*, but ABC does not specify whether the T-shirt sale occurred after the apology
- Guardian Article 1 mentions West’s Glastonbury performance in 2015, while ABC does not reference this event
- Guardian Article 3 states Wireless Festival is sponsored by Pepsi without mentioning other sponsors’ withdrawals, whereas ABC highlights Pepsi’s withdrawal and urges other sponsors to follow
- Guardian Article 2 reports two men were arrested and released on bail for the Jewish ambulance arson, but ABC does not mention this detail
Source Articles
Kanye West headlining Wireless festival is ‘deeply concerning’, says Keir Starmer
PM says antisemitism is ‘abhorrent’ after booking of West, who has song called Heil Hitler and last year advertised swastika T-shirt Keir Starmer has said it is “deeply concerning” that Kanye West, th...
Ban Kanye West from performing at Wireless festival, antisemitism charity urges
Keir Starmer ‘is not a bystander’, says Campaign Against Antisemitism as it calls on PM to stop rapper entering UK Kanye West should be banned from entering the UK to perform at Wireless festival, the...
Push to axe Kanye West from Wireless Festival after past antisemitic remarks
There is increasing pressure for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to be pulled as headliner of the Wireless Festival in London, as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer weighs in and Pepsi withdraws as lead...
Jewish Leadership Council condemn Wireless festival for booking Kanye West to headline
Ye, who has called himself a Nazi, released a song called Heil Hitler and sold T-shirts bearing swastikas, is confirmed to play three nights at the London festival The Jewish Leadership Council has co...