Kanye West makes history with massive crowd despite performance bans

Kanye West, who now goes by the name Ye, appeared to be defying European setbacks with a historic move.

The controversial rapper and record producer claimed he has broken records by pulling a massive crowd at his Istanbul performance.

Despite facing performance restrictions internationally, Kim Kardashian’s former husband reportedly drew a crowd of 118,000 to Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium on Saturday, May 30.

The Bully maker boasted that it was the largest stadium performance in history.

“I just want to tell y’all, we just broke the record, 118,000, largest stadium performance of all time,” the Yeezy founder told the live audience, according to Türkiye Today.

After beginning at 9 p.m. local time the live gig evolved into an all-night festival-style event featuring DJ sets, laser and light shows, pre- and after-party gatherings and performances by Turkish artists including Yener Cevik, Mavi, Sena Sener, Pera and Motive.

The fans were not only from across Turkey but flew miles away from Russia, Kazakhstan, the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and Poland to attend the concert

It is pertinent to note that Ye, 48, performed live in front of the huge crowd despite facing a wave of performance bans and venue cancellations across multiple countries due to his history of severe antisemitic remarks.

The UK government blocked his entry on the grounds that his presence would "not be conducive to the public good".

Authorities in Reggio Emilia officially banned his upcoming July 2026 concert, citing public order and safety risks, as well as concrete fears of widespread counter-protests raised by local Jewish communities.

His scheduled performance in Poland (Silesian Stadium in Chorzów) was canceled over "formal and legal reasons".

Although the Hip-Hop legend released an apology in the Wall Street Journal, attributing his actions to bipolar disorder, the backlash continues to affect his ability to secure European bookings.