Kanye West postpones Marseille concert as France considers ban
The rapper postponed his June 11 show at Marseille's Vélodrome after France's interior minister sought to block him over antisemitic remarks.
12:21 AM
Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, announced Tuesday that he is postponing his concert scheduled for June 11 at Marseille's Vélodrome stadium in France, citing his own decision to delay the performance indefinitely.
"After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice," the 48-year-old rapper wrote on X.
The postponement comes after France's interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, moved to block the concert. A source close to Nuñez told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that he was "highly determined" to ban the show and was exploring "all possibilities" to prevent it from taking place.
French authorities have grown increasingly vocal in their opposition to the performance. According to French newspaper Le Monde, officials were weighing whether West's prior remarks "risk constituting a criminal offense and if public order is threatened." Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan previously made clear that West was not welcome to perform in the city.
West has faced sustained criticism for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Britain blocked the US rapper from entering the country due to his outbursts, prompting organisers of the Wireless festival, which he was set to headline in July, to cancel the entire event. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called the booking of West "deeply concerning."