Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe 48-year-old rapper is set to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8 (Getty Images For BET)Kanye West, known as Ye, drew 118,000 fans to a concert in Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium Saturday night, marking his first European appearance since 2014 and his debut in Turkey.The rapper's performance follows a series of cancellations across Europe, including in Britain, France, and Poland, due to his history of antisemitic comments, such as praising Adolf Hitler and using Nazi imagery.Despite the global backlash, the Istanbul concert attracted a significant international audience, with fans travelling from various European countries and the Middle East to attend the two-hour show.Ye is scheduled to perform further concerts in the Netherlands on 6 and 8 June, following his Istanbul appearance.In January, Ye issued a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his past behaviour and renouncing his admiration for Hitler, attributing his actions to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder.Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Kanye concert draws 118,000 fans after backlash and country bans
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe 48-year-old rapper is set to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8 (Getty Images For BET)Kanye West, known as Ye, drew 118,000 fans to a concert in Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium Saturday night, marking his first European appearance since 2014 and his debut in Turkey.The rapper's performance follows a series of cancellations across Europe, including in Britain, France, and Poland, due to his history of antisemitic comments, such as praising Adolf Hitler and using Nazi imagery.Despite the global backlash, the Istanbul concert attracted a significant international audience, with fans travelling from various European countries and the Middle East to attend the two-hour show.Ye is scheduled to perform further concerts in the Netherlands on 6 and 8 June, following his Istanbul appearance.In January, Ye issued a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his past behaviour and renouncing his admiration for Hitler, attributing his actions to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder.Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Kanye performed to 118,000 in Istanbul, his first European concert since 2014, after cancellations in Britain, France, and Poland over antisemitic remarks. His January WSJ apology preserved fanbase demand despite institutional bans.
