Kanye West Concert in Slovakia Canceled Following Massive Protest Against Protocols | Kanye West

The Slovakia festival, scheduled to host Kanye West next week, has been called off following the controversy surrounding the US rapper’s release of a song that glorifies Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Prior to the cancellation of the 20 July gig in Bratislava, the Rubicon hip-hop festival was set to be West’s only confirmed live performance in Europe this year. Despite his 24 Grammy awards, West has become infamous for his increasingly anti-Semitic and hate-filled outbursts. He released the song “Heil Hitler” on 8 May, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, ending with a sample of a 1935 speech by Hitler. The song was banned in Germany and removed from most mainstream streaming platforms, but it found support on Elon Musk’s X platform. A petition was launched against West’s appearance at the festival, arguing that it would be an insult to historical memory. Over 70,000 Slovak Jews were persecuted during World War II. The festival organizers cancelled the event due to media pressure and withdrawals of other artists and partners. The Rubicon festival was planned to take place from 18 to 20 July and would have featured US rappers Offset and Sheck Wes along with West. Australia also revoked West’s visa due to the controversial song.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/11/rubicon-festival-cancelled-kanye-west-slovakia