Italy Bans Kanye West and Travis Scott Concerts Over Security Concerns
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, Italian authorities have canceled concerts by Kanye West and Travis Scott that were scheduled to take place in July in the city of Reggio Emilia, citing security concerns.
Kanye West, who now goes by the name Ye, was set to perform at the Hellwat Festival on July 18 at the RCF Arena. With a capacity of more than 103,000 people, the venue was expected to host one of the largest performances of his career. Travis Scott was also scheduled to perform at the same venue on July 17.
Salvatore Angieri, the governor of Reggio Emilia, announced on Saturday that he had ordered the cancellation of both concerts. The decision followed months of pressure from the city’s Jewish community, anti-fascist groups, labor unions, and several politicians, who had been calling for the cancellation of West’s performance since April because of his controversial and antisemitic remarks.
Following the announcement, festival organizers said they are still attempting to hold Kanye West’s July 18 performance at a location near Reggio Emilia that falls under a different jurisdiction.
In recent years, West has faced widespread backlash over a series of controversial statements and actions, leading to the cancellation of some of his performances across Europe, including in the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Poland. In January, he issued a public apology, attributing some of his behavior to manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
In addition to concerns about potential protests against West, the governor cited the short time gap between the two concerts and the arrival of tens of thousands of visitors to the city within less than 24 hours as key reasons for the ban. Travis Scott has also remained under scrutiny since the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021, where 10 people died in a crowd surge.
Despite these restrictions, West launched his summer tour on Saturday night with a major concert at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium. According to organizers, approximately 118,000 people attended the event, which West described as the largest stadium concert in history. Travis Scott also made an appearance during the performance. The two artists recently collaborated on the track “Father” from West’s new album, Bully.
While the United Kingdom has barred West from entering the country and several European nations have imposed similar restrictions, fans from around the world—including the United States, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Kazakhstan—traveled to Turkey to attend the Istanbul concert.
According to the current European tour schedule, West is set to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, in Tirana, the capital of Albania, on July 11, and in Prague on July 25.
