Ye and Travis Scott concerts canceled in Italy over security fears

Concerts by Ye and Travis Scott set to take place in Italy in July were canceled because of security worries and concerns raised by local Jewish leaders, Italian authorities said Friday.

The move followed decisions by Britain and Australia to block Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, from entering the countries over his history of antisemitic comments. It also came about five years after a deadly crowd crush at a concert in Houston by Scott, who is also an American rapper.

The two artists were set to perform at a music festival in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, in a venue with room for about 103,000 spectators. Scott was expected to perform on July 17, and Ye the next day.

The decision to cancel the concerts came after a meeting of Italian officials on Monday and “was made to ensure public order and safety,” the prefecture for the province of Reggio Emilia said in a statement. Italian officials took into consideration the recent cancellations of Ye’s concerts in other countries and “the real risk of counterdemonstrations,” the statement said.

The local Jewish community and an Italian consumer rights organization had raised concerns about Ye’s concert, the prefecture said.

The consumer rights organization wrote in a formal notice sent to Italian authorities last month that Ye was “at the center of a widespread and growing international controversy, fueled by his public statements and conduct, which have already been the subject of strong institutional backlash,” according to a statement Saturday by the group.

“His participation could generate tension, protests and potential public disorder,” the group added.

There were no immediate comments from Ye or Scott on the cancellations. The date for Ye’s concert in Italy had not been removed from his tour website as of Saturday.