Home / Arts and Entertainment / Kanye West Gains Entry to Netherlands Despite Ban
Kanye West Gains Entry to Netherlands Despite Ban
29 May
Summary
- Netherlands minister states no legal grounds to deny Kanye West entry.
- Rapper will perform in Arnhem on June 6 and 8.
- Previous bans in other countries cited for past comments.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, legally known as Ye, is scheduled to perform in the Netherlands next month. Dutch migration minister Bart van den Brink announced on Friday, May 29, 2026, that there are insufficient legal grounds to prohibit his entry, despite calls from lawmakers to ban him.
West, who has faced international backlash for past antisemitic comments and expressions of admiration for Nazism, will perform at the GelreDome venue in Arnhem on June 6 and June 8, 2026. These concerts mark his first European performances since 2014.
Previously, Britain denied West entry, citing concerns for public good, which led to the cancellation of his Wireless Festival appearance. France also reportedly sought to block a show, and a concert in Poland was subsequently cancelled.
In January 2026, West published an apology in the Wall Street Journal, renouncing his past admiration for Hitler and attributing his behavior to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder. Authorities in Arnhem have not received any requests for protests against the concerts.
