French minister looks to ban Kanye West concert

This Jan. 17, 2014 file photo shows singer Kanye West as he arrives for the Givenchy men's Fall-Winter 2014-2015 fashion collection in Paris. (AP Photo/Zacharie Scheurer, File)

France’s interior minister is seeking to block U.S. rapper Kanye West from performing in the southern city of Marseille in June due to his antisemitic remarks, a source close to the minister told AFP on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is “highly determined” to ban the June 11 concert at Marseille’s Velodrome stadium and is exploring “all possibilities,” the source said.

West, 48, has been heavily criticized for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Britain has blocked the U.S. rapper, also known as Ye, from entering the country due to his outbursts, prompting organizers of a festival he was to headline to cancel the July event. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called booking West “deeply concerning.”

• Kanye West banned from entering the U.K.

But Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said last week there were no plans as yet to bar the rapper from the Netherlands.

The French source said Nunez had discussed the possible concert ban with the regional prefect and the mayor of Marseille during his visit to the city last week.

Last month, Benoit Payan, the left-wing mayor, said he opposed the controversial performer’s visit, saying he refused “to allow Marseille to be a showcase for those who promote hatred.”

In May 2025, the rapper released a song called “Heil Hitler,” months after advertising a swastika t-shirt for sale on his website.

The song was banned by major streaming platforms. West subsequently expressed regret for his conduct, blaming it on his bipolar disorder.