Music mogul Ye remains scheduled to headline this summer’s Wireless Festival despite backlash and the exit of several major sponsors.
Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn issued a lengthy statement Monday defending the decision to keep Ye atop the lineup. The three-night event will take place July 10–12 in London.
Wireless Festival is standing by Ye as the festival’s headliner
Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, which organizes Wireless Festival, has made a statement:
“I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many… pic.twitter.com/mvhc9reG2X
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) April 6, 2026
Benn’s response followed reports that brands including PepsiCo, Rockstar Energy Drink, PayPal and Diageo stepped away from sponsorships tied to the event. The corporate withdrawals came after renewed scrutiny of Ye’s past antisemitic remarks.
In the statement, Benn attempted to separate the festival’s booking decision from the rapper’s controversial history. He began by stressing his personal political beliefs.
“I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life,” Benn said. “I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970’s that was attacked on October 7th, am pro Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state.”
Ye Will Remain The Wireless Festival 2026 Headliner, Per Official Statement By Melvin Benn
Benn said those views shaped how he approached criticism surrounding the performance.
“What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the Prime Minister and others that have commented,” Benn said, adding that he believes the artist now regrets the statements.
Still, Benn insisted the festival booking centers on music rather than ideology. According to him, Ye’s catalog remains widely available across British media.
“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country,” Benn said. “It is available via live streams and downloads in this country.”
He emphasized that the festival is not inviting Ye to deliver political commentary.
“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature,” Benn said. “Only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations and streaming platforms and enjoyed by millions.”
Benn also framed his stance through personal experience with mental illness within his family.
“Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue,” he said.
For now, organizers say Ye remains locked in as a headliner, even as debate around the booking continues.
