AKanye West show in Albania is set to go ahead this summer, despite widespread cancellations of his shows across Europe.
The rapper, who now goes by Ye, released his new album ‘Bully’ in March and had been due toplay a world tour, buthis booking to headline all three nights of London’s Wireless Festival sparked an enormous backlashover hispreviousantisemitic comments.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those to criticise the booking,several sponsors cut their ties with the festival, andultimately theUK Home Office blocked Ye from being allowed into the country.Wireless eventually announced that they had cancelled their entire 2026 event.
Since then, shows inSwitzerland,PolandandFrancehave also been cancelled,butit appears that at leastone is set to go ahead – in Tirana, Albania.
Last week (April 30), the country’s president Edi Rama posted on Facebook to say that the rapper would be playing at the capital city on July 11. The country’s Ministry of Culture has said: “In every aspect, it is our obligation to welcome and facilitate the development of such events that bring numerous benefits to tourism and the economy.”
There are unconfirmed reports that there are plans for a temporary venue to be built in Tirana for the show.
The rapper recently shared afresh apology for his past remarksshortly beforeWirelesswas axed. He also later addressed the criticismin anupdatetohisWall Street Journal“to those I’ve hurt” letter, which he originally shared in January.
West’s history of making antisemitic remarksdates back to2022, when he made a series of offensive comments on social media. Those commentssaw his accounts on both Instagram and Twitter suspended,and the musicianwasdropped by his lawyer, talent agency and record label,along with fashion brands such asBalenciagaandAdidas.
At first, West gave several interviewsrefusing to apologise for making the commentswhile suggesting thatJewish people should “forgive Hitler”.However, in 2023, West deliveredan apology to the Jewish community, going on toblame alcohol for his behaviour the following year.
In the wake of thatinitialapology,numerouslawsuits were filed against the rapper with claims of extensive antisemiticbehaviour. One former employeealleged thatthe rapper said Jewish people were “working together to hold him back”.
Another former employee claimed he used antisemitic language in the workplace and praised Hitler– something for which he allegedly paid a settlement for. In 2024, a separate ex-employeeaccused him of being openly antisemitic in front of his staff.
West also shareda number ofhighly controversial posts in early 2025, when hetook back an apology he previously made to the Jewish community for antisemitic remarks, and then declared himself “a Nazi”.The rapper then claimed on X/Twitter that, “after further reflection”, he’d “come to the realisation that I’m not a Nazi”,followedonly a few days later by yet more swastika apparel appearing on his X page.