REGGIO EMILIA — Italian authorities canceled Kanye West’s concert in Reggio Emilia, scheduled for 18 July at the RCF Arena as part of the Pulse of Gaia festival, due to public order and safety concerns. The decision was ordered by Reggio Emilia prefect Salvatore Angieri following concerns from the local Jewish community about West’s previous antisemitic remarks.
The cancellation reflects broader international scrutiny of West’s public appearances after a series of controversial statements and actions. Authorities cited the real risk of counter-demonstrations and referenced the cancellations of his concerts in other countries, including the United Kingdom and France. In April, West was denied a UK visa, leading to the cancellation of his headline performances at London’s Wireless Festival, and his concert in Marseille was postponed until further notice. West’s 19 June concert at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland, was also canceled due to formal and legal reasons.
Nicoletta Uzzielli, leader of the local Jewish community in Reggio Emilia, welcomed the decision and urged officials to replace West’s show with a performance that would bring “music back to the forefront as a universally unifying force.” Her remarks reflected community concerns tied to West’s past behavior, including antisemitic social media posts, a description of slavery as “a choice,” and the previous sale of a T-shirt featuring a swastika on his website.
West has sought to address the backlash in recent months. In January, he published a full-page advertisement titled “To Those I’ve Hurt.” After the Wireless Festival cancellations, he offered to meet with London’s Jewish community “to listen.” In public statements, West has denied being antisemitic, saying, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.” He also attributed his past behavior to his mental health, stating, “My bipolar disorder led me to fall into a four-month-long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life.”
Despite the Reggio Emilia cancellation, West is still scheduled to perform elsewhere in Europe, including at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium and at the GelreDome football stadium in Arnhem, the Netherlands, on 6 and 8 June.