Indre-et-Loire Bans Dieudonné's Latest 'Best’Of' Performance Amid Public Order Concerns

Controversial comedian Dieudonné M’BALA M’BALA’s scheduled performance titled “Best’Of” on October 26, 2025, has been banned by the Indre-et-Loire prefecture due to concerns over public order. The show was to take place within a 20 km radius of Tours, with the exact venue disclosed only to ticket holders shortly before the event. Prefect Thomas Campeaux officially issued the ban, citing Dieudonné’s history of antisemitic remarks and convictions for inciting racial hatred as grounds for the prohibition. Authorities fear that similar incendiary statements during the performance could provoke serious disturbances and constitute criminal offenses.

This ban continues a pattern across western France, where recent shows by Dieudonné in locations such as Loire-Atlantique and Nord were also interrupted by law enforcement enforcing regional prohibitions. For instance, in early October and July 2025, performances in Vieillevigne and Hérin were halted due to such bans. However, in January 2025, a Paris administrative court overturned a prior ban allowing a show titled “Vendredi 13” to proceed, highlighting ongoing legal challenges surrounding Dieudonné’s performances.

Since being expelled from his Paris theater in 2017, Dieudonné has adapted to a nomadic format, often performing from a traveling bus. The prefecture of Indre-et-Loire has tasked state security services with ensuring the enforcement of the ban and preventing potential public disorder or incidents linked to hate speech.

These measures reflect French authorities' continuing efforts to curtail performances that threaten societal harmony, particularly those marked by hate speech. Dieudonné’s persistent defiance underscores the complex balance between freedom of expression and public order in France.