Kanye West cancels French show weeks after UK visa cancellation
French authorities intervene to block Marseille concert, prompting Kanye West to postpone amid escalating European backlash
Racist rapper Kanye West has cancelled a concert in France amid mounting political opposition.
West was due to perform at the Marseille Velodrome on 11 June, but the event faced growing backlash.
The rapper said in a post on X: “After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.”
Earlier this month, West was denied a UK visa, which led to the cancellation of his headline appearances at Wireless Festival following repeated antisemitic remarks.
French interior minister Laurent Nunez on Tuesday told Politico he was “very determined” to prevent the concert from going ahead.
In March, Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan said in a post on X that he refused to let the city “be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism”.
He added: “Kanye West is not welcome at the Velodrome.”
In a follow-up post on X after postponing the show, West said his fans were “everything” to him.
“I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends,” he said.
“I take full responsibility for what’s mine but I don’t want to put my fans in the middle of it.”
Separately, Wireless Festival confirmed the cancellation of West’s scheduled performances in London’s Finsbury Park in July, with ticket holders refunded.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Gold Digger rapper, who has used Nazi imagery and faced accusations of antisemitism, should never have been invited to headline the festival.
West made an application to travel to the UK on Monday via an electronic travel authorisation, but the Home Office stopped him on the grounds that his presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”, the Press Association understands.
West’s ETA was initially granted online before ministers intervened, it is understood.
The Prime Minister said: “Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.
“This Government stands firmly with the Jewish community and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.
“We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.”
It is understood that the Mayor of London’s office had refused permission for the London Stadium in Stratford to stage a West concert this summer, with sources citing community concerns and the reputational impact on the city.
In January, West took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal to apologise, titled: “To Those I’ve Hurt.”
“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” it said.
“I love Jewish people.”
In his letter, he said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life”.
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