A Swiss football club has ruled out hosting a potential Kanye ‘Ye’ West concert, saying that giving the rapper a stage would not align with the organisation’s principles.
The 48-year-old artist, who legally changed his name to ‘Ye’ in October 2021, is no longer in line to perform at St Jakob-Park, the stadium used by FC Basel, after venue representatives opted not to move forward.
In a statement to Reuters, a spokesperson said: “FCB received an enquiry and considered it.
“However, after thorough review, we have decided not to proceed with the project, as we cannot, in accordance with our values, provide a platform for the artist in question within this context.”
The Switzerland decision comes after a broader run of cancellations and withdrawals connected to Ye’s planned European appearances.
Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park, London—where Ye had been slated to headline all three nights—was also called off.
Organisers said the move followed Ye being refused entry to the UK, while major sponsors—including Pepsi and Diageo—reportedly pulled funding after antisemitic remarks made by the ‘Runaway’ performer.
“The Home Office has withdrawn YE’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom,” a spokesperson for the event said.
“As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders. As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.”
Elsewhere, a planned June concert at Poland’s Slaski Stadium was recently dropped by promoters, who cited “formal and legal reasons”.
“The decision to organize a Kanye West concert in Poland is unacceptable,” said Poland’s culture minister Marta Cienkoska before it was put on the chopping block.
“We are talking about an artist who has publicly made antisemitic views, downplayed crimes and profited from selling swastika T-shirts. These are not ‘controversies’. This is a deliberate crossing of boundaries and the normalization of hatred.”
Ye also chose to halt a scheduled appearance in France, posting on X: “After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice.
“I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends. I take full responsibility for what’s mine but I don’t want to put my fans in the middle of it. My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows. See you at the top of the globe.”
The series of cancelled dates follows Ye’s antisemitic outbursts. In the past, he has posted statements online including ‘I’m a Nazi’ and ‘Some of my best friends are Jewish and I don’t trust any of them’, according to the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
During Super Bowl LIX, Ye appeared in an advert directing viewers to an online shop selling $20 T-shirts featuring a black swastika—an emblem adopted by the Nazi Party in the 1920s.
He later released a track titled ‘Heil Hitler’ and was seen in a Twitch livestream performing a Nazi salute.
In January, the musician formerly known as Kanye West issued an apology for his antisemetic behaviour via a full-page advert in The Wall Street Journal.
In a letter titled ‘To Those I’ve Hurt’, he said he was neither a Nazi nor an antisemite and insisted he ‘loved’ Jewish people.
He also linked his remarks to bipolar-1 disorder, which he said stemmed from medical oversight that failed to diagnose a frontal-lobe injury after a 2002 car crash, as reported by The Guardian.