A music festival in Slovakia has been officially cancelled following mounting protests over Kanye West’s scheduled headline performance. The Rubicon Festival, which was slated to take place from July 18 to 20 just outside Bratislava, faced growing controversy due to the rapper’s history of antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements.
Kanye West, also known as Ye, was set to headline the event on July 20 in what organizers described as his only European show of the year. However, the backlash was swift and intense. Several Slovak artists pulled out of the lineup, and a petition demanding his removal from the festival garnered more than 6,000 signatures.
On Wednesday, organizers announced via Instagram that the entire event would no longer proceed.
“It is with regret that we announce: Rubicon Festival will not take place this year. This was not an easy decision. Due to media pressure and the withdrawal of several artists and partners, we were unable to deliver the festival at the standard of quality you deserve,” the statement read.
They added, “We understand this news is disappointing, and we truly apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.”
Local reports added to the festival’s troubles. One outlet claimed the venue was still an unharvested wheat field outside Bratislava, raising logistical concerns. Another Slovak news source reported that Kanye West may instead be performing in Prague, Czech Republic, this September—though this has not been confirmed.
The cancellation follows a June petition accusing Kanye West of “repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and (an) ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history.” The petition cited not only his antisemitic remarks but also his controversial release of a pro-Nazi song titled Heil Hitler, along with the sale of swastika-themed merchandise on his website earlier this year.
As of now, Kanye West has not publicly responded to the Rubicon Festival’s cancellation.
