American rapper Kanye West has announced the postponement of an upcoming concert in Marseille, France until further notice. This decision comes a week after the Wireless Festival, which West was scheduled to headline, was cancelled following the UK government's decision to block him from entering the country.
French media reports indicate that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was considering banning the June 11 gig. An unnamed source close to Nunez described the minister as highly determined to prevent the event.
For years, West has faced significant backlash due to a series of antisemitic, racist, and pro-Nazi comments. In a post shared early Wednesday on X, he stated, After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.
In a subsequent statement, West acknowledged his past actions, saying, 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.
Originally, West was set to perform at the Wireless Festival and the Marseille concert as part of a European tour. Despite the current postponement, his official website still lists performances in several other European countries throughout May, June, and July, including Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. He is also scheduled to play in New Delhi, India, in late May.
Last week, Dutch asylum and migration minister Bart van den Brink indicated that there were no plans to bar West from performing there. In France, however, Nunez was exploring all possibilities to prohibit West from performing but did not elaborate further.
On the day the Wireless Festival was cancelled, the Home Office mentioned that West had applied to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The government made the decision to refuse permission based on the view that West's presence would not be conducive to public good. Previously, in 2022, he had made posts that stirred significant controversy, including a statement about going death con 3 on Jewish people and expressing admiration for Hitler during a podcast appearance.
As West seeks a return to the public sphere, he has issued apologies, claiming, I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people. He also attributed his actions to bipolar disorder, stating he had lost touch with reality.\
French media reports indicate that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was considering banning the June 11 gig. An unnamed source close to Nunez described the minister as highly determined to prevent the event.
For years, West has faced significant backlash due to a series of antisemitic, racist, and pro-Nazi comments. In a post shared early Wednesday on X, he stated, After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.
In a subsequent statement, West acknowledged his past actions, saying, 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.
Originally, West was set to perform at the Wireless Festival and the Marseille concert as part of a European tour. Despite the current postponement, his official website still lists performances in several other European countries throughout May, June, and July, including Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. He is also scheduled to play in New Delhi, India, in late May.
Last week, Dutch asylum and migration minister Bart van den Brink indicated that there were no plans to bar West from performing there. In France, however, Nunez was exploring all possibilities to prohibit West from performing but did not elaborate further.
On the day the Wireless Festival was cancelled, the Home Office mentioned that West had applied to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The government made the decision to refuse permission based on the view that West's presence would not be conducive to public good. Previously, in 2022, he had made posts that stirred significant controversy, including a statement about going death con 3 on Jewish people and expressing admiration for Hitler during a podcast appearance.
As West seeks a return to the public sphere, he has issued apologies, claiming, I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people. He also attributed his actions to bipolar disorder, stating he had lost touch with reality.\
