Kanye West has reportedly been banned from touring in the United States. Initially, rumors suggested that the rapper had a choice in the matter, choosing not to tour across the country. However, a new report alleges otherwise. Notably, West’s last tour was in 2016, which spanned both the United States and Canada. The tour, Saint Pablo Tour, supported the release of his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo.
Sources suggest Kanye West won’t be able to perform in US
Kanye West reportedly can no longer tour in the United States.
Insider Rob Shuter, citing sources, shared on Substack that the “Donda” rapper has been barred from touring in the country due to decisions made by Live Nation and AEG, both of whom control the live music market.
An insider explained that one “[couldn’t] tour around them.” They added, “They control the venues, the promotion, the infrastructure. If both say no, that’s it.” The source further stated that both companies have denied West permission to perform.
Another source shared that it wasn’t a case of West — currently gearing up for the launch of his latest album, Bully, hitting the market on March 20, 2026 — not wanting to tour. They clarified that it was him “not being allowed to [do so].”
A source stressed that the decision to bar West from touring in the US resulted in the rapper losing out on “tens of millions [of dollars].” They emphasized, “Touring is where the real money is now.”
The Yeezy founder’s team has reportedly considered touring options abroad. However, insiders suggest that the process for international touring becomes complicated without U.S. music companies’ support. An executive reportedly remarked, “The blacklist follows you.”
Touring in the United States is not the only thing West was banned from. The Grammy winner was reportedly banned from this year’s Grammy Awards. This came after West issued a public apology via a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal. In the apology, he expressed remorse for his controversial actions, while also apologizing for his antisemitism and for letting down black people.
West later shared in a Vanity Fair interview that his public apology wasn’t a move to revive his career. He reasoned that it was from “remorseful feelings heavy on [his] heart and weighing on [his] spirit.”
