Italy has banned two concerts by US rappers Kanye West and Travis Scott scheduled for July in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, officials said Saturday.
The local prefect, Salvatore Angieri, ordered the cancellation due to concerns over public order and safety, including the possibility of protests.
West, also known as Ye, faced a wave of cancellations across Europe this summer after years of anti-Semitic comments, including statements praising Adolf Hitler and releasing material using Nazi imagery.
Meanwhile, Scott has faced scrutiny over safety at his concerts after a crowd crush at the Astroworld festival in Houston in 2021 left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.
Scott was scheduled to perform at the “Pulse of Gaia Festival” at the 103,000-seat RCF Arena on July 17, with Ye’s concert the following day.
Angieri said the decision was taken following requests from consumer group CODACONS and the Jewish community in Modena and Reggio Emilia, who had raised particular concerns about these.
Officials cited the closing time of the two shows and the high influx of viewers expected within 24 hours as the reason behind the ban. He also pointed to the “concrete risk” of other concerts in Europe being canceled and protests taking place.
In April, Britain refused entry to Ye on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
​Later that month, they also postponed a show in Marseille after reports the French government sought to prevent it, while concerts in Poland and Switzerland were also cancelled.
Ye, who has apologized for past comments he said were linked to untreated bipolar disorder, has continued to perform in countries that have welcomed him, and is scheduled to hold a concert in Istanbul later on Saturday.
He is also set to hold a concert in the Netherlands next month, after his stay minister said there were no legal grounds to deny him entry.
There was no immediate comment from Ye, Scott or event organizers in Italy.
