Italy bans Kanye West concert over security concerns
Authorities scrap festival performance following pressure from local Jewish groups over rapper’s controversial history
A concert by the US rapper Kanye West, who was supposed to perform on July 18 in Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, has been banned on public safety grounds, the authorities said.
The prefect of the province, Salvatore Angieri, said the decision was made following requests from bodies including the local Jewish community.
They had “expressed reservations” about the appearance of the rapper as part of the Pulse of Gaia Festival, the statement released on Friday evening said.
Another concert by the US rapper Travis Scott on July 17 has also been scrapped. Scott has faced scrutiny over safety at his concerts since a 2021 crowd crush at the Astroworld Festival in Houston that killed 10 people and injured hundreds.
“The decision … was taken 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,” the prefecture said.
“In the overall assessment, the cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the concrete risk of counterdemonstration also weighed in.”
