Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates

Keir Starmer ‘concerned’ over Kanye West UK festival dates

Sir Keir Starmer, the UK’s prime minister, expressed concern over Kanye West’s upcoming headline performance at the Wireless Festival in London this summer. The rapper, now known as Ye, has faced criticism for past antisemitic remarks, which he later apologized for in January. Starmer highlighted that West was booked “despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism” in comments shared with the Sun on Sunday.

Following Starmer’s remarks, Pepsi, the festival’s headline sponsor, confirmed it has “decided to withdraw its sponsorship” of the three-day event. The company’s statement aligns with the prime minister’s assertion that “antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears.” Starmer emphasized that “everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”

Kanye West, 48, was announced as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival in north London earlier this week. The event, branded as “Pepsi presents Wireless,” is scheduled for 10–12 July. As of Sunday lunchtime, the festival website still listed Pepsi MAX as a “long-standing partner,” though the sponsorship status has since changed.

“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” West wrote in a January statement. “Bipolar disorder means when ‘you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick’ and that I ‘lost touch with reality.’”

West’s recent actions have sparked debate. Last year, he was barred from entering Australia after releasing a track titled “Heil Hitler,” which glorified the Nazi leader. He also declared himself a Nazi earlier in 2024, retracting a prior apology over antisemitic comments, and sold T-shirts with swastika designs on his clothing website. In November 2025, West met with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, where he reportedly apologized for past antisemitic remarks.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for West’s UK entry to be banned, arguing that “we need to get tougher on antisemitism” and labeling his appearance as “extremely serious.” The Home Office has not yet received an application for West’s entry. His X account was banned multiple times in 2022 for posts violating platform rules, including an image merging a swastika with the Star of David and a claim to go “death con 3” on Jewish people.

In 2022, West also drew criticism for wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt during Paris fashion week. This led to Adidas ending their partnership with him, stating they “do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.” West has not performed in the UK since 2015, when he headlined Glastonbury. Three tracks from his latest album, *Bully*, released in March, are currently in the UK’s top 100 singles chart.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the largest group representing Jewish communities in the UK, urged BBC Newsnight to block West’s entry. A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan stated, “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 decision to withdraw sponsorship was made by the festival organizers, Festival Republic, who have yet to comment on the matter.