A planned concert by US rapper Kanye West in Poland has been cancelled, local media reported on Friday, following a series of controversies surrounding his past antisemitic comments and celebration of Nazism.
The decision, made by managers of Slaski stadium in Chorzow, western Poland, and reported by the Wyborcza newspaper, comes shortly after the artist, now known as Ye, was blocked from travelling to the UK to headline a festival. His show in France was also recently postponed.
There was no immediate comment from the rapper, who in January apologised for his behaviour, attributing it to untreated bipolar disorder, and renounced previous expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler.
Polish authorities had already indicated their intention to ban the scheduled 19 June concert. Polish Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska stated on Thursday: "In a country scarred by the history of the Holocaust, we cannot pretend that this is just entertainment."
More than 1.1 million people, predominantly Jews, were murdered at the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. Nazi Germany was responsible for the deaths of over 3 million of Poland's 3.2 million Jewish population.
"The concert will not take place," wyborcza.pl quoted a stadium representative as saying. "We will inform the organiser in a few hours. Our lawyers are preparing a letter regarding this matter." The stadium did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation.
Ye was previously barred from Australia last year after releasing a song promoting Nazism and advertising swastika T-shirts on his website. Despite these controversies, he has performed in the United States and Mexico City this year, with further concerts planned across Europe and Asia.
Earlier this month, West was denied a UK visa, which led to the cancellation of his headline appearances at Wireless Festival following repeated antisemitic remarks.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “Gold Digger” rapper, who has used Nazi imagery and faced accusations of antisemitism, should never have been invited to headline the festival.
It is understood that the Mayor of London’s office had refused permission for the London Stadium in Stratford to stage a West concert this summer, with sources citing community concerns and the reputational impact on the city.
Separately, West’s planned concert at the Marseille Velodrome on June 11 was also postponed amid growing backlash in France.
