Wave of Rejection Spreading, Kanye West Threatened to Fail to Perform in Italy

JAKARTA - A huge pressure still hangs over the controversial American rapper, Kanye West or who is familiarly called Ye. After a wave of cancellations in various European countries, now it's his turn to appear in Italy which is threatened to fail.

Civil society, politicians, and anti-fascist organizations in Italy urged the government to immediately cancel Ye's appearance at the Hellwat Festival, Reggio Emilia, which is scheduled to take place on July 18, 2026.

This massive rejection is the result of Ye's long track record of frequently making anti-Semitic statements and praising extremist ideologies. Ye's presence at the RCF Arena is considered an insult to the history of the city of Reggio Emilia, which has very strong anti-fascist resistance roots.

Deputy President of the European Parliament and senior politician of the Italian Democratic Party, Pina Picierno, criticized the Italian government's silence amid the sale of tens of thousands of concert tickets.

"England has denied him a visa. France is effectively preventing a concert in Marseille. Meanwhile, Italy is just sitting with 68,000 tickets sold, as if nothing had happened," Picierno said, quoted by La Gazzetta in Reggio, Thursday, April 23.

The same outrage came from the representative of the trade union confederation of Italian Trade Unions (CISL) in Emilia-Romagna, Rosamaria Papaleo, who emphasized that human values cannot be compromised just for the sake of a performance.

"It seems very contradictory that an artist known for his anti-Semitic statements can be hosted by our city, which has always strongly advocated anti-fascist values. For us, anti-fascism is not a momentary desire, but a value rooted in our history," said Papaleo.

This insistence has also reached the ears of the Mayor of Reggio Emilia, Marco Massari. Although he personally maintains a distance from Ye's behavior, Massari argues that the final decision on entry permits and performances is under the authority of the Italian Ministry of the Interior.

On the other hand, the Artistic Director of the Hellwat Festival, Victor Yari Milani, tried to calm the tension by defending the organizers' decision. According to him, the festival is a free space for artistic expression.

Milani reminded the public that Ye had apologized through a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal and stated that his past actions were influenced by the bipolar disorder he suffered from.

"The artist's past comments certainly triggered a legitimate reaction, but we also want to remind that Ye has officially apologized. We have also asked him to apologize again specifically in Italy," explained Milani.

However, the public remains skeptical given that Ye had withdrawn his apology in early 2025 and re-uploaded symbols of hatred on social media.

Before the turmoil in Italy surfaced, Ye's world tour for the album "Bully" had already caused problems. Concerts in Switzerland, Poland, and three show schedules at the London Wireless Festival have been canceled due to similar protests.