American rapper Kanye West is set to take the stage in Tirana on July 11, in an event that has sparked major controversy because of his public profile and previous contentious statements, while mass protests continue in Albania.
“Le Monde” reports that the artist, who has faced concert cancellations and restrictions in several European countries because of his antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements, will perform in Albania, but the event has become a hot political topic.
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According to the French newspaper, around 4 million euros in funding has been earmarked for the concert, while some protesters have accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of using the initiative for political gain and personal exposure.
Declared persona non grata across most of Europe after his neo-Nazi and antisemitic statements, American rapper Kanye West will instead be welcomed with open arms on Saturday, July 11, in Tirana by an Albanian government facing strong opposition in the streets.
The prime minister of this small Balkan country, Socialist Edi Rama, decided on Monday, July 6, to make available “urgently” a subsidy of 4 million euros to save the concert of the American star, which was due to be held that evening on the outskirts of Tirana.
The decision has fueled the anger of thousands of protesters, who since the end of May have gathered every evening outside the prime minister’s office to oppose the luxury real estate projects of US President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his daughter Ivanka Trump on the Albanian coast.
“Kanye West is a known antisemite. And here the government is spending 4 million euros to make sure the concert goes ahead,” Edison Lika, an activist in the movement called the “Flamingo Revolution,” said on Wednesday, July 8, referring to the migratory birds that could be threatened by the American couple’s projects.
In one of the poorest countries in Europe
Contrasting this with the alarming lack of funds for hospitals in this country, which ranks among the poorest in Europe, many protesters see the concert and the subsidy as another sign of how the prime minister, in power since 2013, is bringing institutions under his control to serve his image and at times questionable interests.
According to his argument, the concert “otherwise risked being canceled,” while the Albanian leader has defended the subsidy as necessary “so as not to embarrass Albania,” at a time when “25,000 foreigners” are expected to descend on the capital to attend the show and bring “100 million euros” to the tourism sector.
Also known as “Ye,” the American rapper has seen most of his concerts in Europe canceled after in 2023 he said that “he loved Nazis” or released the song “Heil Hitler” on the 80th anniversary of Germany’s defeat in World War II, on May 8, 2025.
Although in January he expressed his “deep regret” over the antisemitic statements, which he linked to bipolar disorder, the rapper was forced to postpone his June concert in Marseille and was banned from entering British territory at the beginning of April. Nevertheless, he managed to perform for two nights in early June in the Netherlands.
In Albania, however, it was Edi Rama himself who invited Kanye West to perform, making the concert public on his Facebook profile at the end of April.
With the image of an unconditional pro-American, the Albanian leader appears ready to do whatever it takes to serve Donald Trump’s interests, as shown by his unwavering support for his family’s real estate projects or for this concert by a rapper known for his closeness to the American president.
The event is also expected to be held in an arena built specifically for the occasion, which the prime minister himself visited on Tuesday.
Initially, the government had pledged that the event would cost the public budget nothing, but it now appears to have changed its position, while tickets, sold at prices ranging from 250 to 700 euros, are still widely available.
