Italy Bans Kanye West and Travis Scott Concerts

Italian authorities have cancelled two planned July concerts by Kanye West, now known as Ye, and Travis Scott in Reggio Emilia, northern Italy, citing security concerns and the risk of public unrest. Ye had been set to headline the Hellwat Festival on July 18 at the RCF Arena, while Scott was scheduled to perform there on July 17. The venue can hold about 103,000 people, and organizers said Ye’s show would have been one of his largest arena appearances ever.

Reggio Emilia prefect Salvatore Angieri announced the cancellations on Saturday after local pressure intensified over Ye’s past antisemitic statements and actions. The city’s Jewish community, anti-fascist groups, trade unions and politicians had all called for the concert to be scrapped in April. Authorities said the close timing of the two shows, the expected arrival of a huge crowd within 24 hours, and the “concrete risk” of protests made the event too sensitive to proceed safely.

The festival organizers said they still hope to bring Ye to Italy on July 18, but in a different location under another jurisdiction. Ye has faced repeated backlash in recent years for extremist rhetoric and imagery, including social media posts praising Nazis, selling swastika-themed merchandise, and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler.” He has also seen performances cancelled in the U.K., France, Switzerland and Poland. In January, he published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal, saying his behavior was linked to manic episodes related to bipolar disorder.

Scott’s planned appearance also drew attention because of the 2021 Astroworld disaster in Houston, where a crowd crush during his festival killed 10 people. That history added to concerns around back-to-back shows expected to draw massive audiences to the same venue.

The cancellations came just hours after Ye opened his summer tour with a large concert in Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, which organizers said drew about 118,000 people. Ye claimed the show was the largest stadium performance in history, and Scott appeared on the globe-shaped stage as well. The pair recently collaborated on the song “Father,” from Ye’s latest album, “Bully.”

Despite the Italy setback, Ye remains scheduled to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, in Tirana, Albania, on July 11, and in Prague on July 25 as part of the remainder of his European tour.