Kanye West plays Arnhem to 40,000 fans as protests fail to stop first European show in a decade

A controversial return

Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed the first of two scheduled concerts at the GelreDome in Arnhem on Saturday evening, drawing more than 40,000 fans from across Europe. The show was his first on the continent since 2015, part of a comeback tour that has seen multiple dates cancelled after pressure from governments and the public. The 48-year-old rapper appeared alone on a giant globe-shaped stage and delivered a two-hour set heavy on hits, speaking almost no words beyond his lyrics.

The protests outside

Around twenty demonstrators gathered at the stadium entrance, organised by the Jewish organisation Cidi (Centre for Information and Documentation Israel). They held banners displaying the rapper's antisemitic quotes and sought to make arriving fans aware of his past statements. Cidi director Naomi Mestrum said the group was not satisfied that Ye was given such a large stage in the Netherlands when neighbouring countries had drawn a moral line and rejected him.

I know his fans probably come for the music, but we cannot close our eyes to the hatred of Jews that he has widely spread in the past.

Mestrum added that the Netherlands had shown itself to be somewhat more cowardly than its neighbours. The organisation had unsuccessfully asked an Amsterdam court to cancel both the Saturday and Monday concerts. Judges ruled on Wednesday that the shows did not pose a threat to public order.

Why other countries cancelled

Ye's European tour originally included dates in France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Switzerland, and Italy, all of which were cancelled one by one. The cancellations followed years of escalating controversy: the rapper released a song titled 'Heil Hitler', tweeted that he considered himself a Nazi, sold T-shirts featuring a swastika on his website, and launched various antisemitic conspiracy theories. Earlier this year he apologised in The Wall Street Journal, attributing his transgressions to bipolar disorder and a brain injury.

I don't support everything he said. But I don't care about the controversies around artists' bad actions, I really focus on the music.

The 20-year-old Belgian student was among many fans who told reporters they were there for the music while condemning the rapper's remarks. Concerts in Georgia, Albania, Spain, and Portugal remain on the schedule for now.

Inside the GelreDome

Ye opened with 'KING' from his recently released album BULLY, standing atop the globe structure at the centre of the stadium. Dutch media described his movements as stiff and low-energy, with one reviewer comparing his stage presence to a robot vacuum cleaner or a patient emerging from a years-long coma. The audience, however, was unrestrained. 'Father Stretch My Hands', a single released after his last European tour, was received as if it were a classic. Fans had travelled from Belgium, Germany, France, and beyond, with English, German, and French heard throughout the crowd.

Incidents and Monday's show

Two men were arrested during the evening on suspicion of disturbing public order. Police said they were not demonstrators. Three other people carrying signs with conspiracy theories about the Holocaust were removed after repeatedly ignoring police instructions to keep their distance. Chaos broke out at the entrance when many ticket-holders were still outside as the performance began.

Cidi plans a smaller demonstration on Monday for the second concert, focused on raising awareness among younger fans. Mestrum said she was shocked by some reactions on Saturday, including middle fingers and what appeared to be Hitler salutes, but added that many young people told demonstrators they liked the music while disapproving of the behaviour. She hopes the protest planted a seed.

We also spoke to many young people who said they think his music is great, but that they really don't approve of his behaviour.