A Kanye West concert in Poland has been cancelled following government pressure concerning his long-charted history of making anti-Semitic comments.
West, who now goes by Ye, was scheduled to appear at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów on 19 June, marking his first performance in Poland for 15 years. However, the venue said on Friday (April 17) that it would not go ahead “due to formal and legal reasons”.
It came after the country’s Culture Minister, Marta Cienkowska, condemned the rapper, arguing that his history of offensive remarks should bar him from performing in a nation “scarred by the history of the Holocaust”.
“We cannot pretend that this is just entertainment,” Cienkowska said. “We are talking about an artist who has publicly made anti-Semitic remarks, relativised crimes, and profited from selling T-shirts with a swastika. These are not ‘controversies.’ This is a deliberate crossing of a boundary and a normalisation of hate.”
She concluded by saying culture could not “be a space for those who use it to spread contempt”.
Decyzja o organizacji koncertu Kanye Westa w Polsce jest nie do przyjęcia.
Mówimy o artyście, który publicznie wygłaszał antysemickie treści, relatywizował zbrodnie i zarabiał na sprzedaży koszulek ze swastyką. To nie są „kontrowersje”. To świadome przekraczanie granic i… pic.twitter.com/BML5ea35l0
— Marta Cienkowska (@MartaCienkowska) April 16, 2026
Stadium director Adam Strzyzewski took to Facebook to make a statement further explaining that the concert was axed because of “formal and legal reasons”.
It comes after Ye postponed a scheduled show in France indefinitely, saying it was his “sole decision” to do so earlier this week. He was set to perform at the Marseille Velodrome on June 11 as part of his 2026 world tour, in support of his new album ‘Bully’.
He took to X/Twitter on Wednesday (April 15), to confirm that the concert would not be taking place as planned, writing: “After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.”
A day earlier, the French authorities confirmed that they were exploring possible options to ban West from entering the country owing to his antisemitic past (via Far Out).
The news followed Ye’s three bill-topping dates at London’s Wireless Festival being cancelled, in the wake of him being blocked from entering the UK by the government.
The booking had sparked significant backlash, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said it was “deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism”.
Several festival sponsors cut their ties with Wireless following Ye’s booking, including Pepsi, drinks giant Diageo, PayPal and Rockstar Energy, putting huge pressure on organisers to take action.
West had shared a fresh apology for his past remarks amid the controversy surrounding his Wireless appearances shortly before the event was axed. He addressed the criticism in a new update to his Wall Street Journal “to those I’ve hurt” letter, which he originally shared in January.
“I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly,” West wrote. “My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music.
“I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren’t enough – I’ve have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here. With Love.”
Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, which co-promotes Wireless alongside Live Nation, had previously spoken out to call West’s past antisemitic comments “abhorrent”, but urged people to “offer some forgiveness”.
West’s initial apology letter saw him open up about a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed [his] life”, admitting that he “didn’t want to be here anymore” on some occasions. Ye also shared details of his bipolar type-1 diagnosis, which he’d dismissed early last year. At the time, he said it was “really a case of autism”.
He has also confirmed dates in New Delhi, India (May 23), Istanbul, Turkey (May 30), Arnhem, the Netherlands (June 6, 8), Chorzów, Poland (June 19), Reggio Emilia, Italy (July 18), Madrid, Spain (July 30), and Loulé, Portugal (August 7).
The post Kanye West Poland gig cancelled after government backlash: “We cannot pretend that this is just entertainment” appeared first on NME.
