Kanye West Cleared to Perform in the Netherlands

Kanye West has been cleared to enter the Netherlands for a live performance as part of the rap star’s looming European tour.

According to Reuters, officials in the Netherlands concluded that no evidence had been discovered in their investigation of West to constitute him being banned from entering the country.

“Solid grounds are needed to bar people ⁠from entering [the country]. We have not found those in the analyses that were conducted,” Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink said, per Reuters. “His past statements are not, at this moment, a reason to deny him entry.”

West, who goes by the name Ye, is currently scheduled to perform at two concerts in the Netherlands, both set to take place at the live venue GelreDome in the city of Arnhem. The first show will take place on June 6, with the second on June 8, the latter coinciding with West’s 49th birthday.

West’s trek to the Netherlands will kick off his anticipated European tour, which has been threatened by continued backlash from multiple European officials in the wake of antisemitic comments and behavior made by the Chicago native in recent years.

In 2022, the rapper became embroiled in controversy after directing antisemitic remarks towards the Jewish community and observers, including statements on social media speaking highly of infamous German dictator Adolf Hitler.

West was subsequently dropped from several partnerships and collaborations with brands including Adidas, Balenciaga, and Vogue. Seemingly undeterred by the fallout and criticism, the rapper doubled down on his remarks, and even released a song titled “Heil Hitler,” yet another nod to Hitler and Nazi ideology, in 2025.

In January 2026, Ye apologized for his controversial statements and actions in a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, blaming his behavior on poor mental health as a byproduct of a bipolar type-1 diagnosis. The gesture received mixed reactions, with some critics pointing to repeated transgressions despite expressing contrition in past instances.

News of Ye’s stop in the Netherlands comes a day before the rapper’s concert in Istanbul, which organizer Erdem Karahan has projected will break attendance records in the nation. Scheduled to take place on Saturday at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, upwards of 75,000 tickets had been sold for the event as of Friday, with Karahan telling Turkish media that 99,000 attendees would surpass the previous mark.

Karahan also teased that longtime collaborator Travis Scott, and West’s daughter, North, could possibly take the stage during the show, which will feature opening performances by local acts.

West was previously barred from entering the U.K. in April, resulting in the cancellation of Wireless Festival, which the rapper was slated to perform. That same month, a planned performance in France was postponed following pushback from the mayor of Marseille, and a show in Poland was nixed, adding to speculation over how the bans would affect West’s career in the future and if other countries would follow suit.

West’s European tour also includes currently scheduled performances in Tirana, Albania on July 11; Reggio Emilia, Italy on July 18; and in Prague on July 25.