Music

Kanye West Cleared for Netherlands Birthday Performance

Dutch officials have cleared Kanye West to perform in the Netherlands, stating there was insufficient evidence to ban the rapper from entering the country.

Rolling Stone·May 29, 2026·via Rolling Stone

Kanye West Cleared for Netherlands Birthday Performance

Who Gon Stop Me

Kanye West Cleared to Perform in the Netherlands on His Birthday

Officials ruled that insufficient evidence had been found to ban the rapper from entering the country

By Preezy Brown

Preezy Brown

Contact Preezy Brown by Email

- Billy Joel’s Rep Denounces Upcoming Biopic: ‘Legally and Professionally Misguided’ - Colombian Folk Music Icon Totó La Momposina Dead at 85 - ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic ‘Dare to Be Stupid’ Broadway Musical Is in the Works

View all posts by Preezy Brown

May 29, 2026

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.

Editor’s picks

The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far

The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

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.

Comments

Loading comments…