Kanye West got the green light from Dutch officials to perform in Arnhem on June 6 and 8, 2026, even though massive protests erupted across the country demanding the government block his shows.
Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink made the decision official, stating that authorities couldn’t find sufficient legal grounds to prevent the performances based solely on his past statements.
The Netherlands became one of the few European nations willing to allow him to tour, creating a stark contrast to the continent’s overwhelming rejection of his planned dates.
This approval comes after West’s history of antisemitic remarks that triggered cancellations across Europe.
He released a song titled “Heil Hitler” and made statements that drew international condemnation from Jewish organizations and government officials.
In January, he purchased a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for the comments and attributing them to his bipolar type-1 diagnosis, which he said caused a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior.”
Many remained skeptical about his sincerity, questioning whether the apology was genuine or merely a strategic move to salvage his tour.
The UK banned him outright in April, forcing the cancellation of a major festival appearance.
Marseille’s mayor publicly stated that “Kanye West is not welcome” in the city, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez made it clear that the government was “highly determined” to prevent any concert from taking place on French soil.
Poland canceled its scheduled venue under direct government pressure, and Switzerland followed suit. The European rejection was nearly universal, with only scattered dates surviving the political and social backlash.
Yet the tour remains partially intact across the continent.
Dates in Tbilisi on June 12, Albania on July 11, Madrid on July 30, and Portugal on August 7 are still scheduled.
Before Europe, he performed in India on May 23 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, and his Turkey show on May 30 at Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul already sold 75,000 tickets.
His Tampa dates on June 26 and 28 at Raymond James Stadium face virtually no organized opposition, highlighting how differently American audiences and authorities have responded compared to Europe’s coordinated resistance.