Italy has banned two concerts by US rappers Kanye West (Ye) and Travis Scott scheduled for July 17 and 18, 2026 in Reggio Emilia. Authorities cancelled the events over public order and security concerns connected to the timing and expected crowd size at the RCF Arena, which has a capacity of 103,000 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
The Prefect of Reggio Emilia, Salvatore Angieri, said the decision was made "for reasons of protection of public order and safety, in view of the close timing of the events and the large crowd expected within a 24-hour period" [4]. West was set to perform on July 18 during the Pulse of Gaia Festival, with Scott scheduled for the previous day [1, 2, 3, 6].
Local Jewish community groups and consumer organization CODACONS had urged officials to cancel the concerts. They cited concerns about West’s previous antisemitic remarks, including praising Hitler, releasing a song titled "Heil Hitler," and selling swastika-themed merchandise [1, 2, 4, 6]. West has publicly denied being antisemitic, stating, "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people" [3]. He apologized in January 2026 in a full-page Wall Street Journal statement attributing his behavior to untreated bipolar disorder [1, 3, 4].
Travis Scott faced scrutiny after a 2021 crowd crush at his Astroworld Festival in Houston that killed 10 people and injured hundreds, raising safety concerns for his performances [2, 3, 6].
West has faced multiple concert cancellations across Europe in recent months. He was banned from entering the UK in April 2026, leading to the cancellation of his Wireless Festival headline show. He also postponed a June 2026 concert in Marseille after French authorities reportedly sought to ban it, and concerts in Poland and Switzerland were cancelled [1, 2, 6]. Despite these, West performed in Istanbul on May 30, 2026 and scheduled concerts in the Netherlands (June), Tirana (July 11), and Prague (July 25) [2, 4, 6].
There was no immediate comment from Kanye West, Travis Scott, or Italian event organizers regarding the bans at the time of the announcement [2, 6].
The official cancellation was announced on May 29 by Prefect Angieri [1, 4, 5]. The cancelled concerts were scheduled at the RCF Arena on July 17 for Scott and July 18 for West, both now removed from the public calendar [1, 2, 3, 6].
