It's been claimed that Wireless Festival was a second option for Kanye West after a major London stadium refused to host the controversial rapper for a residency
Kanye West's UK comeback dreams were shattered after a swift rejection. The rapper has sparked controversy after it was confirmed he would be headlining all three nights of Wireless Festival this year.
The musician hasn't performed in the UK for 11 years, since he headlined Glastonbury Festival, but the news of his Wireless slot, announced last week, instantly sparked backlash. However, it has since emerged that Wireless, held in London's Finsbury Park, wasn't what the rapper, now known as Ye, had planned.
Instead, he wanted to host a residency at a very famous stadium, but when this was rejected, his team reached out to Wireless with an offer to headline the festival. Instead, Kanye wanted to headline Tottenham Hotspur's stadium – but bosses refused due to the club's connection to the Jewish community.
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A source has claimed that a residency at the stadium was the first thought West's team had, before Wireless became a second option. "As part of his big music comeback, they thought he warranted a headline run of shows and chose the Tottenham stadium as their venue of choice," a source told The Sun.
They added: "But when they approached Tottenham with their proposal, the club rejected it. There was no way they would allow Kanye to perform at the club, given its history with the Jewish community. They then made the proposal to Wireless, which accepted."
But since the announcement that West would headline the festival, leading sponsor Pepsi MAX decided to withdraw from its association. A source told us: "Following the mounting backlash surrounding the announcement and Sir Keir Starmer speaking out, Pepsi's position as festival sponsor became untenable. Festivals are about bringing people together; the only decision was to withdraw with Kanye West topping the bill."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the company said: "Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival." The Mirror can also reveal that another global drinks company, Diageo, behind Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker, has also pulled out of sponsoring Wireless this year. A spokesperson said: "We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival."
In recent years, West has shared antisemitic views on social media, including a post claiming he wanted to "death con 3" on the Jewish community. West also went on to release a track titled Heil Hitler – as well as releasing t-shirts with a swastika on, leading Shopify, which hosted his site, to pull the platform.
The decision to book West for Wireless also prompted a response from Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He said the decision to host West at Finsbury Park was "deeply concerning" following his behaviour.
"Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears," Keir said. "Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."
West apologised in January for his antisemitic comments in a letter published as a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal newspaper. In his letter, he said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into "a four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life."
In his letter, West said he wasn't looking for "sympathy or a free pass"; instead, he wanted to "earn forgiveness."
The Mirror has approached representatives for West and Tottenham Hotspur.