Kanye West, now known as Ye, has faced a wave of concert cancellations across Europe over the past two months following years of antisemitic remarks, though he managed to perform in the Netherlands last week despite local protests.
Quick Facts
- Italy cancelled his July 18 concert in Reggio Emilia on May 30, citing public order and safety concerns
- The UK banned him from entering in April, leading to the cancellation of his Wireless Festival headline performances
- Poland, France, and Switzerland all cancelled or postponed his scheduled shows in April
- He performed in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 31 to a crowd exceeding 100,000 attendees
The 48-year-old rapper’s European tour has become a flashpoint for public controversy. In Italy, the prefect of Reggio Emilia, Salvatore Angieri, stopped the concert scheduled for July 18 at the RCF Arena after the local Jewish community raised concerns about West’s history of antisemitic statements. The decision also affected Travis Scott’s Hellwatt Festival performance on July 17, as the two events were scheduled on consecutive days at the same 103,000-capacity venue.
West released a song titled “Heil Hitler” in 2025 and previously advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. He has faced criticism for antisemitic tweets and other offensive statements. In January 2026, he took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” in which he stated: “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.” He attributed his past behavior to a manic episode related to his bipolar disorder.
Kanye West faces mounting European tour cancellations over antisemitic remarks
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The UK government refused him entry in April 2026, leading to the cancellation of his Wireless Festival headline performances in London. Poland cancelled his June concert in April, with the Polish government urging organizers not to provide public space to “promoters of a criminal ideology.” France postponed his Marseille show in mid-April, and Switzerland’s FC Basel cancelled his concert around the same time.
Despite the wave of cancellations, West performed in Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium on May 31 to an audience exceeding 100,000 attendees. Last week, he took the stage in Arnhem, the Netherlands, on June 6 and 8, where the Jewish organization CIDI held protests outside the venue, with demonstrators displaying antisemitic quotations from the rapper on placards. The New York Times reported that while many European countries rejected his comeback tour, the Netherlands allowed the performances to proceed.
Sources
- The Guardian — Italy concert cancellation in Reggio Emilia on May 30, details on antisemitic remarks and West’s apology
- BBC — Poland concert cancellation in April and West’s history of antisemitic statements
- NBC News — Italy and France concert cancellations, UK entry ban
- The New York Times — Netherlands performances and European tour status
- Variety — Multiple European cancellations and Istanbul concert attendance
