Concert Postponement Following UK Ban
US rapper Kanye West has announced the postponement of his upcoming concert in Marseille, France, stating it will be delayed "until further notice." This announcement follows the cancellation of his scheduled headline performance at this summer's Wireless Festival in London, which was called off after the UK government barred him from entering the country.
French media reported that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was considering banning the 11 June show. An anonymous source close to Nunez told the AFP news agency that the minister was "highly determined" to prohibit the event.
West, who has sparked controversy over recent years due to a series of antisemitic, racist, and pro-Nazi remarks, addressed the postponement in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice," West, now known as Ye, said.
In a subsequent statement, he 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."
West has been attempting to return to mainstream public life after issuing an apology in a detailed statement published in the Wall Street Journal in January.
"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," he wrote. "I love Jewish people." He also explained that due to his bipolar disorder, he had "lost touch with reality."
European Tour Plans
West was scheduled to perform at Wireless in London and the Marseille concert as part of a European tour planned for this summer.
As of Wednesday, his official website still listed performances in several other European countries throughout May, June, and July, including Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Additionally, West, aged 48, is set to perform in New Delhi, India, in late May.
Last week, Dutch asylum and migration minister Bart van den Brink stated there were no plans to bar the rapper from performing in the Netherlands.
In France, AFP reported that Minister Nunez was exploring "all possibilities" to prevent West from performing but did not provide further details.
On the day Wireless was cancelled, the UK Home Office informed the BBC that West had applied on Monday for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the UK.
Visitors to the UK require an ETA if they do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months or do not already hold UK immigration status.
The government stated the refusal was based on the assessment that West's presence would not be conducive to the public good.
West's controversial remarks include a 2022 social media post where he said he would go "death con 3 On Jewish people." Later that year, he appeared on a podcast hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and remarked, "I see good things about Hitler." In May 2025, West released a song titled Heil Hitler and sold T-shirts featuring swastikas.
Battery Lawsuit
Separately, West faces a new lawsuit accusing him of assaulting a man at a Los Angeles hotel two years ago, including punching him and beating him while unconscious on the floor.
West appeared to address the incident at the time during an episode of The Download podcast, implying he became physical after believing the man had groped his wife, Bianca Censori.
"He had to go to bed early," Kanye said on the show. "Tucked this [man] in."
The anonymous plaintiff claims he did nothing to provoke what he described as a "cowardly attack," which allegedly occurred "without warning."
The lawsuit, obtained by US media outlets including Rolling Stone and People, includes allegations of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
has requested comment from West's representatives.
