Mayor of Marseille opposes Kanye West concert over 'unapologetic Nazism'
Benoît Payan said the rapper is “not welcome” to perform at his scheduled concert at the Velodrome stadium on 11 June.
The mayor of the southern city of Marseille, France's second-biggest city, does not want American rapper Kanye “Ye” West anywhere near his city.
Mayor Benoît Payan has opposed West's visit, after the controversial singer announced a concert at the Vélodrome stadium on 11 June - West's only scheduled French gig.
In a message posted on X, Payan said: “I refuse to let Marseille become a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism. Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of living together and of all Marseillais.”
Payan is not alone in wanting West to stay away. The CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France) believes that welcoming “someone who has professed his admiration for Hitler raises a real moral question”.
Previously, West had his Australian visa cancelled and was threatened with immediate arrest in Brazil.
In recent years, West has made numerous racist and anti-Semitic comments, going so far as he posting a picture of KKK robes, rescinding his previous apology to the Jewish community, declaring himself “a Nazi” and asserting that he has “dominion over his wife”. West also started selling swastika t-shirts, and released a song titled ‘Heil Hitler’, in which he praised the Nazi leader.
In January 2026, the singer apologised in a letter published by the Wall Street Journal, in which he stated that he “lost touch with reality” and that his behaviour was due to his bipolar disorder – a condition he previously dismissed.
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