Kanye West's controversial European tour

This Saturday, Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, kicks off his summer tour with a concert at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium.

Concerts by the 48-year-old American rapper have been cancelled in the UK, France, Switzerland and Poland, among others, following a controversy surrounding his anti-Semitic remarks.

On the other hand, Ye is welcome in Istanbul. Organizer Erdem Karahan expects the event to be a great success, with fans from the UK, USA, Germany, Poland, Russia and Kazakhstan. The organizers are aiming for a maximum of 120,000 visitors. To date, 75,000 tickets have been sold.

Kanye West will perform on a unique globe-shaped stage. The organizers are expecting considerable revenue, thanks in part to foreign visitors. Bookings and revenue from hotels, transport and catering are already booming around the event. According to Karahan, this could bring in between $50 and $100 million. Alcohol will not be sold during the event.

Prior to the Kanye West concert, several Turkish artists will perform on stage. Karahan also expects American rapper Travis Scott to make an appearance to perform the track "Father" alongside West. North West, daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, is also expected to perform.

In recent years, West has been repeatedly criticized for his anti-Semitic comments. These include declaring on social media networks "I Love Nazis", selling T-shirts featuring a swastika on his website and releasing a song entitled" Heil Hitler" last year. In January, he published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal, in which he attributed his behavior to manic episodes linked to bipolar disorder.

After the Istanbul concert, further concerts are scheduled in the Netherlands, Albania, Italy and the Czech Republic.