Kanye West has been given the green light to enter the Netherlands and hold a series of live concerts as part of his upcoming European tour. Second Reutersthe Dutch authorities concluded that the investigation conducted on West did not reveal any elements that would justify an entry ban into the country. «You need solid reasons to prevent a person from entering. We did not find them in the analyzes that were carried out,” said Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink, again as reported by Reuters. “His past statements do not constitute, at this time, a reason to deny him entry.”
West, who now goes by Ye, has two concerts planned in the Netherlands, both at the GelreDome in Arnhem. The first will be held on June 6, the second on June 8, which coincides with his 49th birthday. The arrival in the Netherlands will kick off West's long-awaited European tour, which in recent months has been put at risk by continuous protests from various European institutional representatives following the anti-Semitic declarations and behaviors of the Chicago-born artist in recent years.
In 2022 the rapper ended up at the center of controversy after making anti-Semitic comments towards the Jewish community and its supporters, even going so far as to publish laudatory statements towards Hitler on social media. Afterwards, West lost numerous collaborations and partnerships with brands such as Adidas, Balenciaga and Vogue. Apparently undeterred by the consequences and the criticism he received, the rapper continued along the same lines and even released a song in 2025 entitled Heil Hitlera further reference to Hitler and Nazi ideology.
In January 2026 Ye apologized for his controversial statements and actions with a paid advertising page posted on Wall Street Journalattributing their behavior to mental health issues related to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The gesture aroused mixed reactions: some critics in fact recalled how in the past the rapper had already expressed regret only to then return to similar behaviour.
The news of the Dutch stage arrives on the eve of the concert that the rapper will hold in Istanbul. Organizer Erdem Karahan predicted the event could break all attendance records in the country. The show is scheduled for Saturday at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium and, according to Friday's data, over 75,000 tickets had already been sold. Karahan told Turkish media that surpassing 99,000 spectators would mean setting a new record.
Karahan also anticipated that longtime collaborator Travis Scott and North, West's daughter, could also appear on stage. The show also features opening performances by several local artists.
In April, West was banned from the UK, which led to the cancellation of his participation in the Wireless Festival. In the same month, a planned performance in France was postponed after protests from the mayor of Marseille, while a concert in Poland was cancelled, fueling speculation about the impact these bans could have on his career and whether other countries will follow suit.
And, news on Friday evening, the Italian stage at the Pulse of Gaia Festival in Reggio Emilia has been cancelled: «The Prefect of Reggio Emilia, Salvatore Angieri, following the requests presented by Codacons and the Jewish Community of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which expressed concerns regarding the concert by rapper Kanye West scheduled for 18 July at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia as part of the Pulse of Gaia Festival, has called for 25 May 2026 a meeting of the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Security”, reads the statement from the Prefecture. «The meeting was dedicated to examining the public order and safety profiles connected to the American artist's concert and the Travis Scott event, also scheduled at the RCF Arena. Based on the assessments that emerged during the Committee and further in-depth investigations relating to safety and security aspects, the Prefect adopted a provision pursuant to art. 2 of the TULPS, banning both concerts” (also stopping the still unconfirmed Travis Scott concert).
West's European tour also includes previously announced dates in Tirana, Albania on July 11 and Prague on July 25.
From Rolling Stone US
