British PM slams London festival for booking Kanye West

Rapper Kanye West performs during his concert in central Yerevan early on April 13, 2015. [AFP]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was concerned about planned concerts in London by US rapper Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic outbursts and released a song called "Heil Hitler".

The disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star -- now known as Ye -- is due 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".

Event sponsor Pepsi told The Independent news website on Sunday that it had withdrawn its sponsorship. Parent company PepsiCo did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

The planned appearances, announced by festival organisers on social media last month, had prompted criticism from Jewish organisations and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

And West's European tour has already proved controversial, with the mayor of Marseille in France saying 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 2025 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.