Kanye West’s July 4 concert under fire: San Antonio mayor urges cancellation
- By Umaima Amir -
- Jun 22, 2026
Kanye West’s upcoming Independence Day concert in San Antonio is facing mounting backlash after the city’s mayor publicly called for the event to be canceled.
Just one day after tickets went on sale for the July 4 performance at the Alamodome, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones voiced her opposition to hosting the rapper, citing his history of antisemitic remarks and hate speech.
“Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-funded facility like our Alamodome, not ever, and certainly not on July 4th, our Nation’s 250th birthday,” Jones wrote on social media.
Despite the mayor’s comments, tickets for the concert remain available through Ticketmaster and West’s official website.
I support canceling the @kanyewest concert.
Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-funded facility like our Alamodome—not ever, and certainly not on July 4th, our Nation’s 250th birthday.
Standing up to…
— Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (@Mayor_GOJ) June 20, 2026
The controversy in Texas follows a string of challenges for the Grammy-winning artist overseas. Earlier this month, a planned concert in Prague fell apart after the venue withdrew.
A scheduled June performance in Poland was also canceled for what organizers described as “formal and legal reasons,” with the country’s culture minister stating that artistic freedom should not provide a platform for hatred.
In France, local officials opposed Kanye West’s appearance at a music festival, ultimately forcing organizers to postpone the event. The rapper has also faced restrictions elsewhere.
The United Kingdom barred him from entering the country in April, resulting in the cancellation of his appearance at the Wireless Festival. Last year, Australia denied him a visa.
In January, the rapper, who now goes by Ye, published a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal apologizing for his antisemitic outbursts in 2025.