Kanye West’s Istanbul Concert Attracts Over 100k Fans Amid Antisemitic Controversy

US rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, drew over 100,000 fans to a concert in Istanbul on Saturday night. This marks his first appearance in Europe since 2014 and his first in Turkey.

The performance took place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, where an audience of 118,000 was reported by state-run Anadolu Agency. Attendees included fans from various countries including Britain, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Poland, and the Middle East.

Despite facing a wave of cancellations across Europe due to his past antisemitic comments, Ye is scheduled to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8. In April, he was denied entry into Britain following reports that his presence would not be conducive to public safety, leading to the cancellation of his planned appearance at the Wireless Festival in London.

In January, West published a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal where he renounced his admiration for Hitler and apologized for his behavior, attributing it to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder.