American rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, has postponed his planned concert in Marseille, France, announcing on Wednesday via X that he had decided to delay his show "indefinitely" following sustained pressure from French authorities and local officials. The performance, scheduled for 11 June at the Stade Vélodrome — a major stadium in Marseille, the large port city on France's Mediterranean coast — would have been his only concert date in the country.
The announcement came as French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that authorities were examining "all options" to ban the event on the grounds of West's repeated antisemitic remarks, with sources close to the minister describing officials as "very determined" to prevent the show from going ahead. Marseille's mayor, Benoît Payan, had publicly declared during local elections in March that he refused to allow the city to become a platform for those promoting "hatred and uninhibited Nazism," stating that West was not welcome. Opposition to the concert crossed political lines, with right-wing nationalist politician Franck Allisio also voicing strong objections.
The Marseille decision follows a similar outcome in the United Kingdom, where the British government last week denied West entry to the country, citing his antisemitic conduct. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain stood "firmly alongside the Jewish community" and would not tolerate antisemitism, leading to the cancellation of West's planned appearances at London's Wireless Festival. By contrast, Dutch authorities have so far indicated they see insufficient grounds to ban West's early-June concerts in the Netherlands, saying a prohibition would only be considered if there were a concrete threat to public order or national security.
West's controversies have mounted over several years. In 2022, sportswear giant Adidas terminated its multi-billion-dollar Yeezy collaboration after West threatened to go "death con 3" on Jewish people. In 2023, he declared that he "loved Nazis" and sold T-shirts bearing a swastika on his website. On 8 May 2025 — the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat — he released a song titled "Heil Hitler," which was swiftly removed by major streaming platforms. In a full-page Wall Street Journal advertisement in January, West apologised and attributed his behaviour to bipolar disorder and a "manic episode," insisting he was "neither a Nazi nor antisemitic." In his latest statement, he said his sincerity would take time to be recognised and that he did not want his fans drawn into the controversy.
The episode highlights the growing willingness of European governments to use immigration and public-order powers to restrict performers whose public statements are deemed to incite hatred, raising broader questions about where the boundary lies between freedom of expression and the protection of minority communities.