A Polish stadium has cancelled a planned concert by rapper Kanye West, adding to a growing list of European bans triggered by the artist’s long record of antisemitic statements and public glorification of Nazism.
Slaski Stadium director Adam Strzyzewski announced the decision in a statement posted on Facebook, saying the concert planned for June 19, 2026 would not take place due to formal and legal reasons. The stadium terminated West’s contract after Poland’s culture minister described the planned performance as unacceptable.
The cancellation in Chorzow follows a rapid series of rejections across Europe. Earlier this month, the United Kingdom’s Home Office revoked West’s travel authorisation, stating his presence would not be conducive to the public good. The decision forced London’s Wireless Festival, where he had been booked to headline all three nights in July, to cancel its entire 2026 edition. All ticket holders were offered automatic refunds. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said West should never have been invited to headline the event.
West subsequently postponed his scheduled appearance at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome on June 11, after French authorities signalled they would seek to block the concert. Marseille mayor Benoit Payan said he refused to allow the stadium to be a platform for those who promote hatred and Nazism.
Australia had earlier cancelled West’s visa following the release of his song “Heil Hitler,” which was widely condemned and banned from major streaming platforms including Spotify and SoundCloud. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed his department had revoked the visa.
West has not publicly responded to the Poland cancellation. In January 2026, he issued an apology for his behaviour, attributing it to untreated bipolar disorder and renouncing past statements in which he praised Adolf Hitler.
Despite the growing list of blocked appearances, West has performed successfully in North America. Two sold-out nights at SoFi Stadium in California in early April drew around 70,000 fans and reportedly earned $33 million, making it one of the highest-grossing solo rap concert runs on record. He has also performed in Mexico City this year. Several additional European dates remain on his schedule, including shows in Istanbul, Arnhem, and Madrid, though their status remains uncertain as pressure mounts across the continent.
Holocaust survivors and advocacy groups have called on other European governments to take similar steps, and scrutiny of remaining venues is expected to intensify.
