Italy has banned concerts by two well-known rappers, Kanye West and Travis Scott, citing safety reasons because both have previously been involved in issues that caused public dissatisfaction.
Foreign news agencies reported that Italian authorities have suspended the concerts of Kanye West and Travis Scott, citing concerns about public order and safety.
Salvatore Anzieri, head of the Reggio Emilia city administration in northern Italy, announced last Friday (29 May 2026) that the two concerts scheduled in the city for June cannot proceed following complaints from the local Jewish community, which requested the cancellation of West's performances.
Nicoletta Uzzieli, leader of the Jewish community, urged local officials to replace the shows with other performances that would "bring music back to the forefront as a unifying force globally."
This is because Kanye West has previously caused severe outrage with statements perceived as anti-Semitic, racist, and supportive of Nazi ideology, which recently led to his travel ban from the United Kingdom.
The American rapper, who currently goes by the name "Ye," was scheduled to perform alongside Scott and other artists such as The Chainsmokers, Rita Ora, and Swedish House Mafia at the concert.
The regional administration stated that multiple factors influenced this decision, including cancellations of the American rapper's concerts in other countries and potential risks of protests.
The statement also noted that the concerts were scheduled on consecutive days, 17 and 18 July, at the RFC Arena in Reggio Emilia, and the large expected crowds were another key factor in the ban decision.
Travis Scott has previously faced intense scrutiny after 10 people, aged 9 to 27, died at his Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas, in 2021, due to overcrowding and crowd crush, which also injured thousands.
Beyond Italy, Kanye West's concerts have been canceled or postponed in several countries. For example, on 15 April, West announced the postponement of his concert in Marseille, France, to 11 June, while French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin is seeking ways to ban the show.
Meanwhile, the concert scheduled for 19 June at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland, was also canceled "due to legal reasons."
Currently, Kanye West is attempting to regain mainstream public attention after issuing a lengthy apology statement published in the Wall Street Journal in January.
"I am not a Nazi or anti-Semitic... I love Jewish people," West said in the statement, adding that his past words and behavior were due to bipolar disorder, which caused him to "lose touch with reality" during that time.
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Source:bbc