Kanye West Postpones Marseilles Concert Until Further Notice After Being Told He’s ‘Not Welcome’ in French City
Singer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West (2nd R), laughs before presenting his Fall/Winter 2015 partnership with Adidas at New York Fashion Week, Feb. 12, 2015. Photo: Reuters
American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, announced on Tuesday that he was postponing his upcoming concert in Marseille, France, until further notice after its mayor said the Grammy winner was “not welcome” to perform in the country’s second-biggest city because of his “unapologetic Nazism.”
Ye, 48, made the decision to call off the June 11 show at the city-owned Orange Velodrome “after much thought and consideration,” he wrote on X. The announcement also came after French Interior minister Laurent Nuñez vowed to explore “all possibilities” to make sure the show would not move forward as planned, according to his office.
Just a week ago, Ye was banned from entering the United Kingdom because of his past antisemitic comments and promotion of Nazism. He was scheduled to headline both days of London’s Wireless Festival in July, but the festival was canceled after organizers faced widespread backlash for hiring Ye despite his antisemitic history.
The show in Marseille was Ye’s only scheduled concert in France as part of a tour that includes stops in India, Turkey, and Spain. The rapper has already performed this year in Mexico City and California, where he was joined on stage at SoFi Stadium by Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott, and Ceelo Green. Ye has not performed in Europe since 2014.
Marseille’s Mayor Benoit Paean said last month that Ye was not welcome to perform in the city. “I refuse to let Marseille become a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism,” he wrote in a post on X.
Ye took out a full‑page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal in January and apologized for his past antisemitic behavior and remarks, which he blamed on untreated bipolar disorder and a “four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior” in early 2025.
Last year, Australia banned Ye from entering the country after he released a song titled “Heil Hitler,” in which he praised Nazism and specifically Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The song was released not long after he sold online T-shirts that featured a swastika and made several racist and antisemitic comments on X, similar to the one he posted in 2022 on the same social media platform.
Ye released his latest album, “Bully,” on March 20.