After canceled gigs in the U.K., France, Switzerland and Poland, Kanye West‘s upcoming concert in Italy is sparking an uproar due to the rapper’s antisemitic remarks.
West, now known as Ye, is scheduled to headline the Hellwat Festival on July 18 at the RCF Arena in the Northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia. The venue has a capacity of 103,000 spectators, making it one of West’s biggest arena appearances ever, according to organizers.
While the Reggio Emilia concert is currently on track, the city’s Jewish community, anti-fascist resistance groups, trade unions and politicians are up in arms, calling for it to be canceled.
Pina Picierno, who is vice president of the European Parliament and a senior member of Italy’s Democratic Party, has urged the Italian government to intervene and take a stance similar to the U.K., France and Poland.
“The United Kingdom denied the visa. France effectively prevented the Marseille concert,” Picierno told local newspaper La Gazzetta di Reggio. “Italy, meanwhile, is just staying idle with 68,000 tickets sold, as if nothing had happened.”
The city of Reggio Emilia was awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor in 1950 for having a crucial role in the Italian resistance against the Nazis during World War II.
The city’s mayor Marco Massari, however, is taking a neutral stance. In a statement, Massari said he was “distancing himself from Kanye West’s behavior and remarks,” but added that any decision regarding West’s entry into the country and his performance lies with Italy’s Ministry of the Interior, which so far has not commented.
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West, who has said “I Love Nazis” on social media, sold T-shirts with a swastika on his website and last year released a song called “Heil Hitler,” published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal in January, attributing his behavior to manic episodes caused by bipolar disorder.
In a statement to Italian news agency ANSA, Hellwatt Festival artistic director Victor Yari Milani called the event “a space for free artistic expression.” Milani added, “The artist’s past comments have certainly provoked a legitimate reaction, but we also want to remember that Ye formally apologized through the Wall Street Journal in January, stating that he is not a Nazi or antisemite but suffers from bipolar disorder.”
“I would add that we have asked him to apologize in Italy as well,” he continued.
Variety has reached out to West’s reps for comment.
Other top artists expected at this year’s Hellwat Festival include include Travis Scott, Rita Ora and Martin Garrix.
Besides Italy, the other remaining stops in West’s announced European tour are Turkey, the Netherlands, Madrid and Portugal.
From Variety US