Global beverage powerhouse Pepsi has pulled out as the main sponsor of Wireless Festival after Grammy award-winning rapper Kanye West, better known as Ye, was announced as the festival’s headliner.

The decision by Pepsi comes after the rapper was booked to perform for three nights at the festival, and it also follows his well-known antisemitic comments and Nazi-related remarks.

The company didn’t state the reasons for withdrawing as the festival’s main sponsor.

A spokesperson for the brand told ITV News on Sunday that, “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.”

The decision for the rapper’s booking has gained widespread criticism, including the Prime Minister of the UK and several other groups in the nation.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, reacting to the rapper’s booking, told The Sun that it is concerning that the organisers selected someone who has made remarks expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and celebrating Nazism.

Starmer said: “It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.

“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears. 

“Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and secure,” he added.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called on the government to place a ban on the ‘Bully’ crooner from entering the United Kingdom.

He said, “We need to get tougher on antisemitism,” describing West’s planned appearance as “extremely serious.”

According to UK immigration rules, an individual can be denied entry based on their character, conduct, or associations if these pose a threat to UK society, with such measures also applied to actions carried out abroad.

The Jewish Leadership Council also condemned the decision for Kanye to perform at the festival, while the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Phil Rosenberg, described it as “absolutely the wrong decision and deeply irresponsible” by the organisers.

Kanye West publicly apologised in January for his Nazi-related comments, apologising to Black and Jewish communities, and said his bipolar disorder contributed to those remarks.

The organisers of Wireless Festival are yet to respond to the current developments surrounding Kanye West’s booking, as the rapper is set to perform for three nights at London’s Finsbury Park on July 10-12.