Kanye West's scheduled concert in Italy has been cancelled over public order and safety concerns, authorities confirmed. The 48-year-old rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, was set to perform at the Pulse of Gaia festival at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia on 18 July. However, the city's prefect, Salvatore Angieri, blocked the event after the local Jewish community expressed concerns about West's previous antisemitic comments.
Consecutive festival cancellations
A concert by fellow US rapper Travis Scott, scheduled for 17 July at the same venue as part of the Hellwatt festival, was also cancelled. The two events were set to take place on consecutive days, prompting authorities to evaluate the combined risks. Scott faced intense scrutiny after a crowd surge at his Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, in 2021 resulted in the deaths of 10 people aged between 9 and 27.
A statement from the government of Reggio Emilia, translated from Italian, detailed the decision: "The meeting was dedicated to examining the public order and safety issues associated with the American artist's concert and the Travis Scott event, also scheduled at the RCF Arena. Based on the assessments made during the committee meeting and further investigations into safety and security aspects, the prefect ordered the prohibition of both concerts."
The statement further explained that the venue, which can hold approximately 103,000 spectators, posed significant challenges for two large-scale events within 24 hours. "The decision concerns two events scheduled for consecutive dates at the RCF Arena, a venue with a capacity of approximately 103,000 spectators, and was made to ensure public order and safety … given the close temporal connection between the events and the large crowds expected within 24 hours. The overall assessment also took into account the cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the real risk of counter-demonstrations," the statement added.
West's history of controversy
In April, West's show in Marseille, France, was postponed after he was denied a UK visa earlier that month. That led to the cancellation of his headline appearances at London's Wireless festival, following backlash over his antisemitic remarks. West released a song titled Heil Hitler in 2025 and previously advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. He has also faced criticism for posting antisemitic tweets and describing slavery as "a choice."
In January, West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal to apologize, titled "To Those I've Hurt." He wrote: "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people." He added that his bipolar disorder led him to fall into "a four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life." After the cancellation of his Wireless performances, West offered to meet the Jewish community in London "to listen."
Upcoming performances
Despite the cancellations, West is still scheduled to perform at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Turkey on Saturday and at the GelreDome football stadium in Arnhem, the Netherlands, on 6 and 8 June. West has had three number one singles and three number one albums in the UK, with hits including Black Skinhead, Gold Digger, and Stronger. Scott has achieved five UK top 10 singles and one number one album with Utopia. Both artists have been contacted for comment.
