Kanye West reportedly wanted to take up residence at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Kanye West’s hopes of returning to the UK were quickly dashed after receiving a fierce rejection. The rapper, now known as Ye, has sparked controversy after it was confirmed that he will headline all three nights of this year’s Wireless Festival. The musician has not performed on British soil for 11 years since topping the Glastonbury festival, but his wireless slot was announced last week and sparked an immediate backlash.
However, it has since emerged that Wireless at London’s Finsbury Park was not the rapper’s first choice. Instead, he was aiming for a residency at one of the country’s most iconic stadiums, but when that bid was turned down, his team approached Wireless with an offer to headline the festival. West had been aiming for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the club’s leaders refused, citing the club’s strong links with the Jewish community.
It is claimed that a permanent presence at the stadium was the original plan, with wireless only emerging as a second option.
“As part of his big musical comeback, they thought it would be fitting for him to headline a show and chose Tottenham Stadium as the venue,” a source told The Sun.
“But when they approached Tottenham with an offer, the club rejected it.
“There was no way the club would have allowed Kanye to perform given his history with the Jewish community. They then made an offer to Wireless and it was accepted.”
However, after it was revealed that West would headline the festival, major sponsor Pepsi chose to end the partnership.
A source said: “Following the growing backlash surrounding this announcement and comments from Sir Keir Starmer, Pepsi’s position as a sponsor of the festival is no longer sustainable.”
“Festivals are about bringing people together. The only decision was to leave with Kanye West on top of the bill.”
“Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a company spokesperson said.
The Mirror reported that another international drinks giant, Diageo, which owns Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker, also relinquished its sponsorship of Wireless this year.
The controversial rapper is set to headline Wireless Festival later this year (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A spokesperson confirmed: “We have expressed our concerns to the organizers and under current circumstances Diageo will not be sponsoring the 2026 Wireless Festival.”
In recent years, Mr. West has expressed anti-Semitic sentiments on social media.
He also released a song titled “Heil Hitler” alongside selling T-shirts emblazoned with swastikas, prompting Shopify, which hosted his website, to deplatform him.
Furthermore, the choice to book West for Wireless provoked a reaction from the Prime Minister.
He said the decision to host West at Finsbury Park was “very concerning” given his actions.
“Anti-Semitism in all its forms is abhorrent and must be firmly confronted wherever it appears,” he said.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that Britain is a safe place for Jews.”
In January, West apologized for his anti-Semitic comments in a letter published as a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal.
In the letter, he said his bipolar disorder caused him to go into a “four-month manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
West also clarified in his letter that he was not seeking “sympathy or a free pass,” but rather “earning forgiveness.”
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