British PM slams London music festival for booking Kanye West as sponsor Pepsi quits event

Kanye West performs during Rolling Loud 2024 at Hollywood Park Grounds in Inglewood, California in 2024.

West is scheduled to perform at London’s Wireless festival in July.

Photo: Los Angeles Times / TNS British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed concern about planned concerts in London by US rapper Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic outbursts.

Campaigners against antisemitism added their voices to the protests on Sunday and Pepsi, sponsors of the festival concerned, pulled out of the event.

The disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star – now known as Ye – is set to play three nights at the Wireless festival in London in July as part of a European comeback tour.

Starmer told The Sun newspaper on Saturday it was “deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism”.

He added that “antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly”.

A spokesperson for event sponsor Pepsi told Agence France-Presse on Sunday that the brand “has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival”, without giving a reason.

The festival’s operating company, Live Nation, has not so far responded to a request for comment from Agence France-Presse.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Photo: Reuters The appearance of West, who once released a song titled “Heil Hitler”, was announced by festival organisers on social media last month, prompting criticism from Jewish organisations and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Campaign Against Antisemitism, a British charity, on Sunday urged Starmer not to be a “bystander” and to ban West from entering the country. “Surely this is a clear case,” the charity said on social media, suggesting West could be banned as a non-citizen whose presence is not “conducive to the public good”.

West’s European tour has already provoked controversy.

In France, the mayor of Marseille said he was “not welcome” for a concert there in June.

West has expressed regret over his antisemitic rants, which he blamed on his bipolar disorder.

In May last year he released a song called “Heil Hitler” to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The song was banned by major streaming platforms.

原文链接: 南华早报