In a development that follows growing international backlash against the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, the artist has announced he will postpone his planned June 11 performance at Marseille’s iconic Stade Vélodrome, after top French officials confirmed they would pursue every legal avenue to ban the event entirely.
The artist’s announcement arrives just seven days after UK officials barred him from entering the country, where he was scheduled to headline July’s Wireless Festival. That ban came in response to sustained public outrage over Ye’s long-documented history of antisemitic comments and hate speech.
Ye shared his decision with the public via a post on the social platform X on Wednesday, framing the postponement as his own independent choice. “After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” the 48-year-old wrote. “I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends.”
Long before Ye’s announcement, local and national French leaders had already made their opposition to the concert clear. Laurent Nuñez, France’s interior minister, confirmed through his office that the government was prepared to leverage “all possibilities” to stop the performance from moving forward as originally scheduled.
Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan was among the earliest and most vocal critics of the planned concert, arguing that the multicultural port city — which has centuries of deep-rooted immigration history and one of the largest Jewish communities in France — should not platform a figure who spreads hate. “I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” Payan said in a previous statement. “Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of community and home to all Marseillais.”
Ye’s planned Marseille show is the latest in a string of canceled or blocked events across the globe stemming from his inflammatory remarks. Last year, he drew near-universal international condemnation after releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler” and listing a swastika-printed T-shirt for sale on his personal website. By the following July, Australian authorities revoked his performance visa and blocked him from entering the country, forcing the cancellation of a planned tour stop.
In January of this year, Ye issued a public apology for his actions, publishing a full-page open letter in The Wall Street Journal. In the apology, he attributed his harmful behavior to a four-month manic episode tied to his bipolar disorder, writing that the episode left him acting in “psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
In his latest social media post, Ye attempted to frame the postponement as a gesture of respect for his supporters. “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.”
As of Thursday, no new date for the Marseille performance has been announced, and it remains unclear whether the concert will be rescheduled at a later date, or if it will be canceled entirely.