LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on April 1, 2026, voiced concern over rapper Kanye West's scheduled performances at London's Wireless Festival, citing West's history of antisemitic outbursts. West, who now goes by Ye, is scheduled to perform at the festival on July 10, 11, and 12 as part of a European tour.

"Deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism," Starmer said. "Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly."

The annual Wireless Festival announced West's booking on Tuesday, March 31. The festival's website described the three-night engagement: "11 years later, Ye returns to London for a three night journey through his most iconic records."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also criticized the planned appearances. A spokesperson for the mayor said the decision to book West was made by festival organizers and that City Hall was not involved in the process. "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 spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that West has repeatedly used his platform to spread antisemitism and pro-Nazi messaging and that any venue or festival should reconsider providing their platform to him to spread antisemitism. The Jewish Leadership Council called the announcement deeply irresponsible.

The 48-year-old rapper has a documented history of antisemitic outbursts. In May 2025, West released a song titled "Heil Hitler" to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. He has previously expressed regret for his antisemitic remarks and said he blamed the outbursts on his bipolar disorder.

The booking drew reactions from the festival's corporate partners. Pepsi decided to withdraw its sponsorship of the Wireless Festival following the announcement. However, as of Sunday, the company was still listed as a headline sponsor on the festival's website, which stated: "Pepsi MAX are a long-standing partner of Pepsi MAX presents Wireless Festival and look forward to creating more musical moments together."

West released his 12th studio album, Bully, last week. The record was his first LP in four years. Wireless Festival organizers did not respond to a request for comment.