American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has indefinitely postponed his planned concert in the French city of Marseille after French authorities began exploring legal action to prevent him from performing.
Ye announced the decision on Tuesday night in a post on X, writing: “After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.” The move followed comments from French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, whose office said officials were exploring “all possibilities” to prevent the concert from taking place at the Stade Vélodrome on June 11.
Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan had already taken a public stance against the visit in March, writing that he refused to let the city “be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” and declaring Ye unwelcome at the Vélodrome, which he described as a “temple of living together.”
Ye has faced widespread condemnation for antisemitic remarks and statements expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler. He released a song titled “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika-branded item on his website in 2025. Australian officials cancelled his visa in July of that year following the song’s release.
The 48-year-old rapper apologised in January with a full-page letter published in The Wall Street Journal, attributing his behaviour to a “four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior.” In a follow-up post on Tuesday, Ye said: “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.”
The Marseille postponement follows the United Kingdom’s decision last week to refuse Ye entry, which led to the cancellation of his headlining slot at the Wireless Festival in London, where he had been scheduled to perform across three days in July.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, citing France’s highest administrative court, local state authorities can only ban a concert under strict conditions — specifically if statements at the event risk constituting a criminal offence and if public order is threatened. No new date for the Marseille concert has been announced.
