Skip to main content

Kanye “Ye” West is making a global comeback with his album, Bully. The hip-hop star had huge, sold-out shows in Los Angeles in April 2026, with fans excited to see him take the stage after time away from the spotlight. However, he’s also facing backlash for his previous antisemitic remarks. His headlining of the Wireless Festival in London is causing brands to back away from their sponsorships. Here’s what to know.

Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s 2 Los Angeles shows reportedly earned $33 million

Related

Kanye ‘Ye’ West Declares He’s ‘Done With Antisemitism’ After FaceTiming His Kids

Kanye “Ye” West’s two Los Angeles shows at SoFi Stadium on April 1 and April 3, 2026, marked a major moment in his ongoing comeback. The concerts, staged in the 70,000-plus-capacity venue, were designed with elaborate production and immersive visuals. West’s setlists blended classic hits with the live debut of material tied to his new album, Bully. The two-night run turned into one of the most sought-after ticket events of the year.

West’s LA shows were originally one-night-only events. However, due to demand, he performed twice — and the ticket sales speak for themselves. According to Bloomberg, his two sold-out SoFi Stadium shows raked in $33 million. West’s Friday show earned over $18 million in ticket sales alone, making it one of the highest-grossing single shows in the history of live music.

Bully itself also performed well in its first week. Bloomberg notes that sales are high, with Spotify also willing to do business with West again, as the platform put songs from Bully on its top playlists. Live Nation also promoted West’s LA shows.

Pepsi and brewery company Diageo withdrew sponsorships for the 2026 Wireless Festival

Kanye “Ye” West is certainly drawing a crowd in the U.S. However, his headlining of the 2026 Wireless Festival in London’s Finsbury Park from July 10-12, 2026, is resulting in lost sponsorships for the festival. According to Local News 8, when the festival announced that West would headline the three-day event, Pepsi and brewery company Diageo dropped their sponsorships. Diageo owns Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff, Ciroc, and Wireless partners Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker.

“Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a company spokesperson told CNN.

“We have informed the organisers of our concerns, and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival,” a Diageo spokesperson said.

Wireless is a massive festival in the U.K., drawing up to 150,000 attendees annually. Due to West’s past antisemitic remarks, his participation has become incredibly divisive. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also condemned West’s participation.

“It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” Starmer shared in a statement to CNN.

The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also wants West to be banned from entering the U.K.

“The Prime Minister is right to be deeply concerned that @WirelessFest wants to headline someone whose anti-Jewish bigotry has gone as far as recording a track titled ‘Heil Hitler’ less than a year ago,” they posted to X.

“But the Prime Minister is not a bystander.”

“The Government can ban anyone from entering the UK who is not a citizen and whose presence would ‘not be conducive to the public good,” CAA continued. “Surely this is a clear case.” They added that Pepsi made the right move in dropping its sponsorship.

Best in News