French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is reportedly exploring legal options to keep Kanye West from performing in Marseille for a concert he has scheduled for June. Nuñez’s office confirmed the intent to the AFP on Tuesday.
The move comes after Marseille’s mayor, Benoit Payan, spoke out against letting West perform at the concert in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), last month. “I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism,” Payan wrote at the time. “Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of living together and of all Marseillais.”
Kanye West Wireless Festival
It wouldn't be the first time a country has refused to allow Kanye West to perform in recent weeks. The United Kingdom similarly blocked his attempt to headline Wireless Festival in London. The Home Office denied his application, citing his antisemitic antics in recent years.
In response, the organizers of Wireless Festival canceled the event entirely. "As a result of the Home Office banning YE from entering the United Kingdom, Wireless Festival has been forced to cancel," they wrote in a statement on Instagram. "All ticket holders will receive an automatic full refund."
West tried to fix the situation by saying he was willing to meet with representatives from the Jewish community in London to make amends. "To Those I've Hurt: I've been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music," he wrote in a statement. "I know words aren't enough - I'll have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here. With Love, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West."
West still has several other performances lined up across the world in the coming months. He'll also perform in the Netherlands, India, and more countries. The shows come after he shared his latest album, Bully, last month.
