American rapper and producer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is performing today and Monday at the Gelredome in Arnhem, Netherlands.
It marks his first European concert series since 2014 amid heavy pushback over past antisemitic remarks.
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The scheduled performances generated significant political and legal opposition in the Netherlands, according to NOS.
A majority of the Dutch House of Representatives sought to bar the artist, while the Central Jewish Consultation (CJO) launched a lawsuit arguing the shows create an unsafe environment for Jewish citizens.
Arnhem Mayor Marcouch, who lacked the legal authority to ban the concert, plans to accompany the rapper to the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam on Sunday.
He intends to introduce Ye to Dutch Jewish history, as reported by Volkskrant.
The 48-year-old artist previously faced concert cancellations across France, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, and London's Wireless festival.
His controversial history includes public statements in 2022 praising Hitler, wearing a racially charged shirt, and claiming that 400 years of slavery was a choice, though he later issued apologies to the Jewish and Black communities via social media and open letters.
Dutch concertgoers expressed deep internal conflict regarding their attendance, separating the artist's personal behavior from his musical production.
"I didn't know if the concert would even go ahead.
He keeps saying stupid things," said Willem, a 25-year-old fan who has listened to Ye for a decade.
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Willem noted that while the statements reflect poorly on the listeners, he chose to attend strictly for the music rather than West as an individual.
"I had already written him off after his statements," Willem said.
He added that online footage of Ye's recent shows in the United States and Turkey, which showed the artist performing on a globe without making antisemitic remarks, offered reassurance.
"Then we would be the first to leave," Willem said.
Other fans also experienced uncertainty due to the musician's history of erratic behavior, including a 2009 stage protest against Taylor Swift and a chaotic 2020 US presidential bid.
"He's such a big artist and producer, and for hip-hop one of the greatest musical geniuses.
But on the other hand, he's not media-trained and a lunatic," said Jens, a 23-year-old fan who received Golden Circle tickets from his friends.
Jens noted that the rapper previously failed to show up to some of his American concerts.
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"We shouldn't approve of his statements, but enough has been said about them," Jens said.
