Kanye West barred from performing in Italy over antisemitism

Italy blocks planned Kanye West concert after Jewish community raises concerns over his history of antisemitism.

By World Israel News Staff

Italian authorities have canceled a planned Kanye West concert in northern Italy after local Jewish leaders raised concerns over the rapper’s history of antisemitic remarks and Nazi imagery, adding to a wave of European setbacks for the artist now known as Ye.

The concert had been scheduled for July 18 at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, one of Italy’s largest outdoor music venues.

Authorities also canceled a Travis Scott show planned for the same venue the previous day, citing broader public order and security concerns.

Reggio Emilia prefect Salvatore Angieri issued the order after appeals from the local Jewish community and the consumer group CODACONS. Officials pointed to the risk of protests, the expected influx of large crowds and the close timing of the two events.

The decision came as West faces growing resistance across Europe over repeated antisemitic statements, including praise for Adolf Hitler and the use of Nazi imagery in recent promotional material.

Several planned appearances in Europe have already been canceled or blocked in recent months.

Reuters reported that the Reggio Emilia Jewish community had urged authorities to stop the performance from going ahead. Nicoletta Uzzielli, president of the community, called for the concert to be replaced with an event showing that music can be “a universal language of peace, inclusion and respect.”

Italian officials did not frame the decision only around West’s remarks. They also cited security risks connected to Scott’s concert, which was scheduled one day earlier.

Scott has faced scrutiny over crowd safety since the 2021 Astroworld festival in Houston, where 10 people were killed in a crowd crush.

The ban underscores the uneven response across Europe to West’s attempted return to major live performances.

Shows in countries including Britain, France, Poland and Switzerland have been canceled or blocked, while Dutch authorities said this week that they had found no legal grounds to stop him from entering the Netherlands for scheduled concerts.

West has apologized in the past for antisemitic comments, but backlash has continued as he has made additional inflammatory statements and associated himself with Nazi symbols and rhetoric.

Neither West, Scott nor the Italian event organizers immediately commented on the Reggio Emilia decision.

Authorities said the decision was based on maintaining public order and preventing unrest around the two July events.