Kanye West Postpones Marseille Concert Following French Government Threats of Legal Ban

Kanye West, the American rapper also known as Ye, announced on Wednesday that he was postponing his concert in Marseille, France, scheduled for June 11 at the Orange Vélodrome stadium, citing what he called a personal decision made "after much thought and consideration." The announcement came hours after French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed he was exploring all legal avenues to prevent West from performing in the country, following years of antisemitic statements and pro-Nazi actions by the 48-year-old artist. Mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan had already declared in early March that West was not welcome in the city. The postponement marks the second major European concert cancellation for West in a matter of weeks, following the British government's refusal to grant him entry for the Wireless Festival in London.

French minister held talks with mayor and regional prefect French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had discussed banning the concert with the prefect of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Jacques Witkowski, and Mayor Payan during a visit to Marseille the previous week, according to France 24. Nuñez told reporters he was "very determined" to prevent West from performing. Mayor Payan had been unambiguous in his opposition since March. „I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and uninhibited Nazism. Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of living-together and for all Marseillais” — Benoît Payan via France 24 West posted two statements on X in the early hours of Wednesday. In the second, he addressed his fans directly. „I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends. I take full responsibility for what's mine but I don't want to put my fans in the middle of it. My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows” — Kanye West via BBC The French government had not issued a formal entry ban before West announced the postponement, and no new date for the Marseille concert was given.

UK ban and Australia entry refusal preceded the French standoff Earlier in April, the British government refused West an Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the United Kingdom, citing that his presence would not be conducive to the public good, effectively cancelling his planned headline appearances at the Wireless Festival in London in July. Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly supported the decision. Several major sponsors had already withdrawn from the Wireless Festival following the announcement of West's booking, and the event was subsequently cancelled. The UK ban followed a July 2025 decision by Australia to bar West from entering the country. That ban came after West released a song titled "Heil Hitler" in May 2025, which was subsequently removed from major streaming platforms. West had also sold shirts featuring swastikas on his personal website in February 2026, and had previously used a 2025 Super Bowl advertisement to direct viewers to his Yeezy website, where swastika-printed merchandise was on offer.

West's antisemitic conduct escalated sharply from 2022 onward. In 2022, he posted on social media threatening to go "death con 3 on Jewish people" and appeared on a podcast hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, where he said he saw "good things about Hitler." In 2023, he publicly stated that he "loved Nazis." The release of "Heil Hitler" in May 2025 and the sale of swastika merchandise in early 2026 represented the most recent flashpoints before his 2026 European tour was announced.

In January 2026, West published a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal titled "To those I have hurt," in which he apologized for his behavior and attributed it to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder. „I am not a Nazi or an antisemite... I love Jewish people” — Kanye West via Deutsche Welle The Anti-Defamation League responded at the time that West's "long overdue" apology did not "automatically undo his long history of antisemitism," according to Deadline. Despite the apology, West resumed touring in 2026, with performances at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in early April reportedly drawing between 60,000 and 80,000 people per night and earning a reported 33 (million USD) — combined revenue from two Los Angeles shows. As of Wednesday, West's official website still listed upcoming European performances in Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Two concerts at the GelreDome in Arnhem, the Netherlands, scheduled for June 6 and 8, remained on the schedule, though Dutch political parties CDA and ChristenUnie, along with pro-Israel lobby group CIDI and the Central Jewish Consultation, had called for a Dutch entry ban. The Dutch asylum and migration minister had said last week there were no plans to bar West from the Netherlands.

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