Wireless Festival boss stands by Ye headlining concerts as sponsors pull
out
[April 07, 2026]
By MARIA SHERMAN
As sponsors pull out from London's Wireless Festival over headliner Ye,
its organizer is standing by the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
Melvin Benn, the managing director at Festival Republic, shared a
statement on Monday backing his company's decision to book Ye.
“Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost
virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world,” he wrote. "I would ask
people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood
of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to
him as I have decided to do.”
Ye, who changed his name in 2021, is booked to perform in front of
around 150,000 revelers over the course of the festival’s three nights,
July 10 - 12.
The rapper has drawn widespread condemnation in recent years for
antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year,
he released a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika
T-shirt for sale on his website. The 48-year-old apologized this past
January for his antisemitic remarks in a letter, published as a
full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar
disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of
psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
Wireless sponsors Pepsi, Rockstar Energy and Diageo have pulled out of
the festival since Ye was announced as the headliner, although lead
sponsor Pepsi didn't offer a reason. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
called the booking “deeply concerning.”
“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It
is available via live streams and downloads in this country without
comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the
country and to perform in this country,” Benn's statement said.
[to top of second column]
|
Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, arrives at the Vanity
Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2020. (Photo
by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
 “We are not giving him a platform to
extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are
currently played on the radio stations in our country and the
streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by
millions,” the statement continued.
Last week, Ye held two concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles,
marking his first major U.S. performances in nearly five years.
There, fans appeared to separate his personal beliefs and public
statements from his music — and were ready to forgive after his
January apology letter.
“I don’t really bring into politics or the way someone’s personal
opinion are. I’m into the music artistry," said Yovani Contreras,
one fan in attendance. "Like, I just, to me, Ye is always gonna be
Ye. Kanye is always gonna be Kanye.”
A representative for Ye didn’t immediately reply to a request for
comment Monday.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
