The Wireless Music Festival has shown support for Kanye West and urged critics to give him a “second chance” amid sponsor loss. The controversial rapper is all set to headline the North London event in July. However, in a recent development, Pepsi has backed out of its sponsorship commitment due to West’s past racist and antisemitic comments. Now, the music festival’s organisers have come to the rapper’s defense.
Music festival backs Kanye West amid sponsor loss
Wireless Music Festival has shown solidarity with Kanye West amid sponsor loss. The Wireless Music Festival is urging critics to “forgive” West and “move on” from his past antisemitic remarks.
Ever since Wireless Festival announced the 48-year-old rapper as their official headliner, the issue has sparked major controversy. Britain’s prominent political leaders have condemned the music festival for recruiting West. Not only that, British Jewish communities have expressed their disdain as well.
Wireless Festival’s long-standing brand partner, Pepsi, pulled out its sponsorship because of West’s past controversial statements. Three more sponsors have since pulled out of the event, including PayPal, alcoholic beverage brand Diageo, and AB InBev. Notably, AB InBev is the parent company of both Budweiser and Corona.
British PM Sir Keir Starmer revealed it is “deeply concerning” that West is headlining the Wireless Festival. He condemned the festival for having the controversial rapper as the festival’s headliner in a brief statement to The Sun. Now, in a fresh statement, the festival’s organizers confirmed they have no plans to remove West as their headliner.
Melvin Benn, MD of Wireless Festival’s parent company Festival Republic, spoke exclusively to Entertainment Weekly. He said that West “has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country.”
Benn stated, “He is intended to come in and perform. 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.”
Furthermore, Benn stated, “I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behavior that I have had to forgive and move on from.”
Originally reported by Anwaya Mane on Mandatory.
