Another show on the US rapper’s European tour has been scrapped, as local authorities cancel over fears of counter‑protests. West and Travis Scott were due to draw more than 100,000 fans.
The concerts by Kanye West and Travis Scott scheduled for 17 and 18 July at the Rcf Arena in Reggio Emilia have been officially cancelled. The city’s prefect, Salvatore Angieri, took the decision on grounds of public order and safety.
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The measure was adopted after the provincial committee met on 25 May, in response to requests submitted by consumer group Codacons and the Jewish community of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
The ban covers both back-to-back events at the Pulse of Gaia Festival. The venue has a capacity of 103,000 spectators, and the large crowd expected within twenty‑four hours prompted the authorities to call off the shows to avoid the very real risk of counter‑protests.
Organisational problems for the festival with Kanye West and Travis Scott
The organisation of the festival in Emilia-Romagna had already sparked fierce controversy in recent months. The event, initially called the Hellwatt Festival and later renamed Pulse of Gaia, was unveiled in February as a highly ambitious project for Italy. Problems emerged around the figure of artistic director Victor Yari Milani, who was taking on an event of this scale for the first time and was unknown to industry professionals.
At the beginning of May the company that runs the Rcf Arena removed him from his post. The accusations levelled at him include slapdash management, contradictory communication on ticket sales and a sharp rise in projected costs. For now, concerts by other international artists are still confirmed for the festival, including Offset, Ice Spice, Ty Dolla, Wiz Khalifa, The Chainsmokers, Rita Ora, Afrojack, Swedish House Mafia and Tyla. The latter is currently the only performer confirmed on the date when Travis Scott was originally due to appear.
All Kanye West concerts cancelled
The cancellation in Italy adds to a series of axed dates that have hit Kanye West’s European tour. Other shows previously announced in countries such as France and Poland have been scrapped because of the artist’s past statements, in which he glorified Adolf Hitler before apologising and denying that he was a Nazi or an antisemite.
The French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, had made clear his strong determination to ban the rapper’s concert scheduled for 11 June in Marseille. In Italy, the leader of Azione, Carlo Calenda, tabled a parliamentary question calling on the interior and foreign ministers to refuse the singer a visa precisely because of his antisemitic views.
The situation in the United Kingdom has been just as fraught, culminating in an increasingly heated row over the spring. On 7 April the British government announced an entry ban for the US rapper, blocking a series of concerts planned for mid‑July.
In this highly charged climate, the organisers of the British festival tried to defend the singer, further fuelling public debate. In response to these restrictions and the criticism he faced, Kanye West hit back publicly to assert his position and challenge the decisions taken by the UK authorities.
Despite the numerous bans, the rapper is pressing ahead with some confirmed dates on his tour. On Friday the artist arrived in Istanbul for a much‑anticipated concert at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, marking his return to European stages after eleven years. The Turkish date is his only show in the country. Over the coming weeks his summer programme will also see him perform in Georgia, Spain, the Netherlands and Albania.
