Kanye ‘Ye’ West‘s plans of performing in Italy may not happen amid the growing calls for the concert’s cancellation.

The rapper, who now legally goes by Ye, kicked off a 2026 world tour to promote his new album “Bully.” However, his scheduled stops in London, Switzerland, Poland, and more have since been canceled.

The cancellations stemmed from the lingering aftermath of Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s past antisemitic remarks. Although he has apologized and blamed his controversial posts on bipolar disorder, many are still holding a grudge.

Kanye West Facing Resistance In Italy Over Past Antisemitism

The setbacks in Ye’s comeback career recently increased with reports of a growing resistance in Italy. The musician has an upcoming performance at the RCF Arena in the Northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia on July 18.

Ye scored the headline position for the Hellwat Festival, with the venue boasting a capacity of 103,000 spectators. The concert’s organizers noted the arena will be one of Ye’s biggest performances. Still, many in the city are unwilling to allow the show to proceed with a past antisemitic rapper.

According to Variety, the city of Reggio Emilia’s Jewish community, anti-fascist resistance groups, trade unions, and politicians are all calling for the music festival’s cancellation. These critics cited the city’s history of playing a key role in the Italian resistance against the Nazis during World War II.

The City’s Politicians Do Not Want To Be Associated With The Controversial Rapper

The city of Reggio Emilia received the Gold Medal for Military Valor in 1950 for its role in World War II, an honor the residents do not want marred by Ye’s presence. Pina Picierno, vice president of the European Parliament and senior member of Italy’s Democratic Party, held this belief.

Picierno implored the Italian government to take action against Ye’s entry to Reggio Emilia, just as the UK and France had stopped his performances in their cities. He expressed disappointment over the lack of action, noting that “Italy, meanwhile, is just staying idle with 68,000 tickets sold, as if nothing had happened.”

The city’s mayor, Marco Massari, did not want to be involved in the drama, stressing in a statement that he was “distancing himself from Kanye West’s behavior and remarks.” He implied that he was powerless to stop the concert because all decisions had to be made by Italy’s Ministry of the Interior.

The Concert’s Showrunners Defended The Yeezy Founder’s Headlining Spot

Hellwatt Festival artistic director Victor Yari Milani supported Ye’s inclusion in the music event in a statement, noting the show was “space for free artistic expression.” Milani agreed that the backlash generated by Ye’s past antisemitic views was valid, but he still deserved another chance.

“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,” Milani stressed. The organizer added that they had asked Ye to apologize once more during the Hellwatt Festival.

Besides Ye, other popular artists such as Rita Ora, Travis Scott, and Martin Garrix are scheduled to perform at the music event. The news of resistance in Italy comes days after Ye’s performance in Switzerland was canceled over his antisemitic past.

The Entertainer’s Switzerland Stop Was Shut Down Over Ethics

Ye had hoped to schedule a performance in Basel, Switzerland, at the home ground of the football club FC Basel, St. Jakob-Park. The show was supposed to be held in June, but representatives for the Swiss football club confirmed they had rejected his offer.

“FCB received an inquiry and considered it. However, after thorough review, we have decided not to proceed with the project,” the statement shared to Reuters read. The representatives implied Ye was rejected over his past antisemitic views, noting:

“We cannot, in accordance with our values, provide a platform for the artist in question within this context.”

The canceled performance came days after The Blast reported that organizers had shut down Ye’s performance in Poland. The management for the Slaski Stadium in Chorzów confirmed that the concert’s cancellation after the Polish government moved to ban Ye’s performance.

Kanye West Spotted At Jewish Human Rights Center After Multiple Setbacks

Ye’s first career setback occurred at the hands of the UK government over the Wireless Music Festival. He was banned from entering the country, leading to the cancellation of the entire music event since Ye had the headline spot.

The Blast shared that the multiple career setbacks seemed to have showcased the power of the Jewish community, and Ye moved to make amends. He was recently spotted leaving a Jewish human rights center in Beverly Hills on Monday, April 20.

The outing came at the heels of another concert cancellation, this time in France. Ye had been scheduled to perform at the southern port city of Marseille; however, the French government moved to ban the show. On that note, Ye accepted his defeat and announced the concert’s postponement.

Will Kanye “Ye” West’s Italy performance hold?