Kanye West Pulls French Concert Amid Claims Government Officials Want to Ban Rapper From Entering Country
Kanye West has pulled a gig in France amid growing expectation he's set to be banned from entering the country.
April 15 2026, Published 8:26 a.m. ET
Kanye West has canceled a concert in France amid growing speculation he’s set to be banned from the country.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the rapper, 48, claimed it was his decision to postpone the gig, before attempting to convince fans he was "changing his ways."
'It Was My Sole Decision'
West says cancelation was all down to him.
French authorities were reportedly considering banning Kanye over his antisemitic and racist statements in recent years, after the U.K. government last week blocked his bid for a visa to play the Wireless festival in London this summer.
Kanye wrote on X: "After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice."
He then wrote: "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. See you at the top of the globe."
Growing Fury Over West's Impending Arrival
Political figures in France were aiming to block the rapper from playing Marseille gig.
West had been scheduled to perform a concert at Marseille's Velodrome stadium on June 11, but the concert met with significant resistance in France.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said he was "highly determined" and exploring "all options" to ban the rapper's only concert in France this summer, according to sources.
Earlier this year, the city's socialist mayor, Benoît Payan declared that the Gold Digger hitmaker was "not welcome" in Marseille, stating on social media: "I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism."
France's desire to block West from performing comes after he was barred from entering the U.K. months before he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July.
Banned From The U.K.
West was recently banned from the U.K. over anti-semantic comments.
Festival organizers canceled the three-day outdoor event as a result of the travel ban and said those who had bought tickets would receive refunds.
West had applied for an electronic travel authorization to visit the U.K,, but it was blocked by the government because his presence in the country would not be "conducive to the public good."
"Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement posted on social media.
'This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.'
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West's scandals are impacted ex-wife Kim Kardashian's new romance with Lewis Hamilton.
RadarOnline.com recently told how West’s latest dramas have impacted ex-wife Kim Kardashian, especially her new relationship with F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
One source said: "Kim's relationship with Lewis has genuinely been unsettled by the latest wave of drama surrounding Kanye. It's not just background noise – it has a real impact on how things are progressing between them.
"The reports about him being banned from the U.K., especially after being lined up for something as high-profile as Wireless, have only reinforced the idea that anything connected to Kanye can shift very quickly and in ways that are hard to anticipate."
