Kanye West beat France to postpone his controversial show.
Kanye West has postponed a concert in Marseille as pressure mounts on French authorities seeking legal options to ban the controversial rapper from performing in the country. This stemmed from his anti-Semitic rhetoric and public expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler.
“After much consideration, I have made the sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” West wrote on X/Twitter.
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Shortly before the announcement, a source close to French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told AFP he was “determined” to block the June 11 concert at Marseille’s Velodrome stadium and was exploring “all possibilities” to do so. Nunez reportedly discussed a possible ban with regional governors and the mayor of Marseille when he visited the city last week.
A pattern of escalating controversy
The postponement is the latest in a series of incendiary comments and actions that have seen West increasingly excluded from European venues. In May 2025, he released a song called Heil Hitler, which was quickly removed by major streaming platforms, after sparking controversy by promoting ####### T-shirts on his website. West later attributed his behavior to bipolar disorder and expressed regret.
The UK has banned West from entering the country, prompting organizers of London’s Wireless Festival to cancel the event altogether, where he was due to headline in July. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the initial bookings “deeply concerning”. West has said he is willing to meet with London’s Jewish community to “show change through action.”
Before the leaf, Marseille officials had fought back
Even before the central government intervened, local opposition in Marseille was fierce. Mayor Benoît Payan, a left-wing politician, publicly declared West persona non grata a few weeks ago.
“I refuse to let Marseille become a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” Payan wrote on
West also has an upcoming event in the Netherlands, but the country is taking a different stance – Dutch Asylum and Immigration Minister Bart van den Brink said last week that there are currently no plans to ban the rapper from entering the country.
New dates for the Marseille concert have not yet been announced.
