Italy has banned two July concerts by American rappers Kanye West and Travis Scott in the city of Reggio Emilia. Local prefect Salvatore Angieri ordered their cancellation due to concerns about public order and security, TASR writes, according to a Reuters report on Saturday.
- Italian prefect Salvatore Angieri banned the July concerts of Kanye West and Travis Scott.
- He justified the ban on concerts by concerns about public order and general security.
- Kanye West released the song Heil Hitler and later regretted his anti-Semitic remarks.
- Travis Scott is linked to the tragedy of the Astroworld festival, where ten people died.
- The Netherlands has allowed Kanye West to perform in Arnhem despite controversy and protests.
West, also known as Ye, released a song titled “Heil Hitler” in May 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The rapper has since repeatedly expressed regret for his anti-Semitic remarks, blaming them on his bipolar disorder.
Scott, in turn, faced an investigation into security measures at his concerts after ten people died in a stampede at his 2021 Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas. Scott was scheduled to perform at the Pulse of Gaia festival on July 17, and West a day later. Angieri said the decision was made based on requests from the Italian Organization for the Protection of Rights and the dignity of consumers and users (Codacons) and the Jewish community in Modena and Reggio Emilia, who expressed concerns particularly regarding West.
The authorities identified the short period of time between the two concerts and the high number of expected visitors as important factors behind the ban. They also pointed to the cancellation of West’s other European concerts and the “specific risk” of protests.
West was scheduled to perform all three nights of the Wireless festival in Finsbury Park, London, as part of a European comeback tour in July. However, the British government banned him from entering the country, which resulted in the complete cancellation of the entire festival. His concerts were also canceled in France, Poland and Switzerland.
However, Ye will perform in the Netherlands next month. According to the Minister of Asylum and Migration there, Bart van den Brink, there are no legal grounds for denying his entry. The 48-year-old rapper will perform on June 6 and 8 at the GelreDome arena in the city of Arnhem, approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam. GelreDome stated on its website that it will be his first European performances since 2014. The city claims that it has not yet registered any requests for protests.
