French authorities want to stop Kanye West from performing at the Marseille Vélodrome, escalating pressure on the American artist after a string of antisemitic controversies in recent years.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is “very determined” to stop the concert and is exploring “every possibility” to prevent it from going ahead, a ministry spokesperson told POLITICO on Tuesday.
French daily Le Monde reported that Nuñez has raised the issue with regional and local leaders, including Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur prefect Jacques Witkowski and Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan during a visit to the city last week.
Payan posted in March on X that he did not want West performing in his city.
“I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism. Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome,” Payan said.
The push comes as other European governments take a harder line on West, who now goes by Ye. The rapper was recently barred from entering the United Kingdom in early April, with officials arguing his presence would not be “conducive to the public good,” prompting the cancellation of London’s Wireless Festival.
West has repeatedly drawn condemnation for antisemitic remarks. In 2023, he said he “loved the Nazis” before later apologizing, and in 2025 released a track titled Heil Hitler. He has also courted controversy with the slogan “White Lives Matter” and by associating with far-right figures.
West is currently scheduled to perform at Marseille’s Orange Vélodrome in June.
