Kanye West was supposed to play at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille (France) this June; however, the concert is fraught with uncertainty as French authorities indicate the planned performance could be blocked amid ongoing backlash over his past anti-Semitic remarks.Kanye West, now known as Ye, was previously denied entry to the UK over his anti-Semitic remarks.
French authorities are considering official ways to ban Kanye West
French Interior Minister Laurent Núñez is considering legal options to officially ban the American rapper from performing at a June concert in Marseille, his office confirmed to AFP news agency on Tuesday. The mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan, also made clear his position on the possibility of welcoming the West in a social media post. “I refuse to allow Marseilles to be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism,” Payan wrote on March 4. “Kanye West is not welcome in the Velodrome, our temple of coexistence and of all Marseilles.”
The controversy extends beyond France
West was recently banned from headlining the Wireless Festival after submitting a travel application to the UK Home Office, which was refused. Festival organizers confirmed the fallout, stating: “Due to the Home Office banning Ye from entering the UK, Wireless Festival has had to be cancelled. All ticket holders will automatically receive a full refund.”Before his travel request was denied, news of Ye’s performance at Wireless Festival led Pepsi and Diageo to withdraw their sponsorship of the event after he was announced as the headliner for West Wireless Festival.Meanwhile, the rapper remains active, having recently released his new studio album, which features collaborations with Travis Scott, CeeLo Green, Peso Pluma and Andre Troutman.
