Kanye West postpones concert in Marseilles after French government considers banning him

Kanye West has postponed his concert in Marseille, after reports surfaced that the French government was considering a ban due to his history of antisemitic comments and pro-Nazi statements.

The concert was scheduled for June 11 at the Vélodrome in Marseille, as part of his tour for the new album Bully, released on March 28.

The artist, also known as Ye, announced his decision on X on Tuesday night, stating: “After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.”

He later added: “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. See you at the top of the globe."

The move comes after France’s interior minister was "highly determined" to prevent the US rapper from performing in Marseille in June. The minister, Laurent Nuñez, confirmed to Agence France-Presse that he would study “all the ways” to ban the concert.

The Mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, also voiced strong opposition, saying: “I refuse that Marseilles be a showcase for hate and unapologetic nazism. Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of living together and belonging to all Marseillais.”

This postponement follows the UK government's decision to block West from entering the country due to his outbursts, which led to the cancellation of his planned headline slot at London's Wireless Festival in July.

West’s history of antisemitism includes expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and selling merchandise featuring swastikas. The antisemitic comments resulted in major business partnerships with companies like GAP and Adidas being terminated.

While he took out an ad in The Wall Street Journal in January apologising and attributing his conduct to mental health issues, the U.S. Anti-Defamation League noted that his “long overdue” apology did not “automatically undo his long history of antisemitism.”

Although the French show is off, West's concerts in the Netherlands in June and Madrid in late July are currently still scheduled.