Italy Prefect Salvatore Angieri Cancels Kanye West And Travis Scott Concerts In Reggio Emilia

Italy cancelled two concerts by American rappers Kanye West, also known as Ye, and Travis Scott scheduled for July at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, after prefect Salvatore Angieri ordered the prohibition over “public order and safety issues”.

“- Published Italian authorities have barred Kanye West and Travis Scott concerts from going ahead, citing public order and security concerns”

BBC

The Guardian reported the decision followed “concerns” from the local Jewish community over previous antisemitic remarks by West, and it said the prefect stopped the gigs at the Pulse of Gaia festival on 18 July and the Travis Scott event on 17 July.

BBC

CBC said the prefect ordered the cancellations because of concerns over public order and security, including the potential for protests, and it tied the decision to the close timing of the two shows and the high influx of spectators expected within 24 hours.

The BBC said the regional prefecture cited the “cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries” and the “real risk of counter-demonstrations,” while also pointing to the closeness of the events on 17 and 18 July at Reggio Emilia’s RFC Arena.

The ban also came as Scott faced ongoing scrutiny after 10 people aged between nine and 27 died at his Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, in 2021, and the BBC said thousands of others were injured when panic broke out as the over-capacity crowd pressed towards the front of the stage.

CBC said Angieri took the decision after requests from consumer group CODACONS and the Jewish community in Modena and Reggio Emilia, which had raised particular concerns about Ye.

The BBC quoted the community’s leader Nicoletta Uzzielli urging local officials to replace the show with a performance that would bring “music back to the forefront as a universally unifying force”.

Euronews

The Guardian added that the prefect’s order was also based on the “real risk of counter-demonstrations” and the “large crowds expected within 24 hours,” given the “close temporal connection between the events”.

Euronews said the measure was adopted after the provincial committee met on 25 May in response to requests submitted by Codacons and the Jewish community of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and it described the cancellation as aimed at avoiding the “very real risk of counter‑protests”.

In the same reporting, Euronews said the concerts were due to draw more than 100,000 fans, while the BBC said the two events were due to take place in the northern city of Reggio Emilia in July.

The Guardian said the cancellation in Italy adds to a series of axed dates for West’s European tour, and it linked the broader pattern to antisemitic remarks and prior cancellations in other countries.

“Another show on the US rapper’s European tour has been scrapped, as local authorities cancel over fears of counter‑protests”

Euronews

The BBC said West’s barring from the UK led to a series of cancellations elsewhere, and it noted that West announced on 15 April that the Marseille leg of his tour had been postponed “until further notice”.

CBC reported that West is due to hold a concert in Istanbul later on Saturday and that he is also set to hold concerts in the Netherlands next month after the migration minister said there were no legal grounds to deny him entry.

The Guardian said West will perform at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Turkey on Saturday and is still due to perform at the GelreDome football stadium in Arnhem, the Netherlands, on 6 and 8 June.

Euronews said the Pulse of Gaia festival will still include other international artists, listing Offset, Ice Spice, Ty Dolla, Wiz Khalifa, The Chainsmokers, Rita Ora, Afrojack, Swedish House Mafia and Tyla, while it said the only performer confirmed on the date when Travis Scott was originally due to appear is Tyla.