David Schwimmer has called on remaining sponsors of the Wireless Festival to withdraw their support following the booking of Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, as a 2026 headliner, per rollingstone.com. In a statement released on April 6, the actor dismissed the rapper’s recent apologies for antisemitism as a “PR scheme” and praised corporations that have already cut ties with the London-based event.
Pepsi, PayPal, Diageo, and Rockstar Energy have reportedly withdrawn as sponsors for the three-day festival. Schwimmer commended these brands for showing “moral clarity” by refusing to platform an artist he described as a bigot. He contrasted their stance with that of organisers Festival Republic, whom he accused of seeking to profit from the controversial booking.
The backlash follows a series of antisemitic incidents involving Ye, including the release of a track titled “Heil Hitler” and the sale of merchandise featuring swastikas. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also intervened, describing the decision to book the artist as “deeply concerning” given his previous celebration of Nazism.
Schwimmer challenged the authenticity of Ye’s recent apology in the Wall Street Journal, noting that the rapper has previously retracted similar statements. The actor argued that true atonement would require Ye to remove offensive tracks, meet with Jewish leaders, and donate festival earnings to Jewish charitable organisations in the UK.
While Schwimmer singled out Budweiser and Big Green Coach to exit their partnerships, one brand has clarified its position. Drip Water stated it had agreed to end its involvement weeks ago, prior to the headline announcement, and requested its removal from festival promotional materials to avoid further confusion.
The controversy arrives amid heightened scrutiny of live music programming and corporate accountability. In 2025, Schwimmer publicly criticised Elon Musk for reinstating Ye’s account on X, formerly Twitter, arguing that silence regarding the rapper’s rhetoric amounted to complicity in the spread of hate speech.
