ROME, Italy — Authorities in Reggio Emilia, Italy, have cancelled a planned July 18 concert by rapper Kanye West, citing public safety and public order concerns.
In a statement released Friday, provincial prefect Salvatore Angieri said officials made the decision after receiving concerns from several groups, including the local Jewish community, regarding West’s scheduled appearance at the Pulse of Gaia Festival.
Authorities also cancelled a July 17 concert by Travis Scott.
The prefecture said officials based the decision on concerns about maintaining public order and safety due to the short interval between the two events and the large crowds expected to attend. Authorities also considered the cancellation of previous West concerts in other countries and the possibility of demonstrations linked to his appearance.
West, who also performs under the name Ye, has faced criticism in recent years over statements and songs that referenced or praised Adolf Hitler and contained antisemitic remarks. Several planned performances have been cancelled following those controversies.
Last month, the government of the United Kingdom barred West from entering the country, and a festival where he was scheduled to perform was later cancelled. Previous planned appearances in France, Poland and Switzerland were also called off.
West performed in Istanbul on Saturday and remains scheduled to appear at concerts in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, Tirana on July 11, and Prague on July 25.
In January, West published a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal in which he said he was “not a Nazi or an antisemite” and stated that he loves Jewish people.