What was once a sprawling summer tour across Europe has become something far more uncertain. Poland and Switzerland have become the latest countries to cancel planned performances by Kanye West, citing the rapper’s well-documented history of antisemitic statements and actions. The decisions follow earlier cancellations in the United Kingdom and France, and have raised serious questions about whether the remaining European leg of his tour will survive the summer at all.
West was scheduled to perform at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland on June 19, what would have been his first appearance in the country in fifteen years. The venue announced the cancellation citing formal and legal reasons, a decision that followed public condemnation from Poland’s Culture Minister. In her remarks, the minister argued that a nation with Poland’s history could not offer a platform to an artist who had publicly made antisemitic statements, minimized historical crimes and sold merchandise featuring Nazi imagery. The position was unambiguous: this was not a matter of artistic controversy but of basic moral accountability.
In Switzerland, FC Basel confirmed that West would not be performing at St. Jakob-Park in June. The club stated that after a thorough review, the decision was made not to provide a platform for the artist in a manner consistent with their institutional values. No further explanation was offered beyond that framing, though the context needed none.
A pattern that has been building for years
West’s antisemitic conduct became a matter of public record in 2022, when a series of statements made across social media platforms resulted in his removal from both X and Instagram. His talent agency dropped him and major brands including Adidas and Balenciaga severed their business relationships with him. In the years that followed, the behavior continued and in some cases escalated. He posted imagery associated with the Ku Klux Klan, declared himself a Nazi and made statements about his wife that drew widespread condemnation.
In early 2025, he began selling swastika-printed shirts. Months later, he released a song that offered explicit praise for Adolf Hitler. Those actions triggered visa denials in Australia and prompted Brazilian authorities to signal that an arrest would follow any attempt to enter the country.
Earlier this year, West published a full-page apology in a major American newspaper, addressing his past behavior and describing a prolonged period of mental health crisis during which he lost touch with reality. The statement was framed around accountability and a desire to make amends.
The apology was met with skepticism in many quarters, particularly given its timing around the release of his new album Bully. Critics questioned whether the remorse was genuine or strategically timed to rehabilitate his image ahead of a major commercial push.
What remains of the tour
Following the wave of cancellations, the confirmed remaining European dates are now Turkey on May 30, the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, Italy on July 18, Madrid on July 30 and Portugal on August 7. Each of those dates exists under a cloud of uncertainty as governments, venues and promoters across the continent continue to assess their positions.
West responded to France’s decision to postpone his concert there by saying he understood that rebuilding trust takes time and that he did not want his fans caught in the middle of the wider controversy. He expressed a desire to move forward and looked ahead to the remaining shows.
Whether those shows will actually take place remains an open question.
