Kanye West told fans in Istanbul that he had made history after reportedly performing in front of 118,000 people at Atatürk Olympic Stadium on May 30. During the show, West addressed the crowd directly, claiming the event marked “the largest stadium performance of all time.”
The concert opened West’s first European tour in more than a decade and quickly expanded into a large-scale festival experience. Alongside his performance, the event featured DJ sets, laser and light shows, pre- and after-parties, and appearances from Turkish artists including Yener Cevik, Mavi, Sena Sener, Pera, and Motive. Travis Scott also appeared on stage during the performance.
Fans reportedly traveled from multiple countries including the U.K., Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland, and the United States to attend the event. Stadium gates opened several hours early to manage the size of the crowd, with large gatherings forming across Istanbul’s transport network ahead of the concert.
The Istanbul performance arrives after several major European disruptions surrounding West’s planned tour dates. In recent months, shows in countries including Poland and Switzerland were canceled, while French officials reportedly moved to block a planned concert in Marseille. Italian authorities also prohibited a proposed July performance featuring West and Travis Scott at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia over security concerns.
The artist’s latest album, Bully, debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart earlier this year, adding to a catalog that includes multiple Billboard 200 chart-topping projects and 24 Grammy Awards.
