A major Slovakian music festival has canceled its upcoming event featuring Kanye West following public outrage over his latest release, a song titled “Heil Hitler.”
The Rubicon Hip Hop Festival in Bratislava, originally scheduled for July 18-20, was set to host the U.S. rapper in what would have been his only confirmed European performance of the year, AFP reported.
Festival organizers announced the cancellation late Wednesday in an Instagram statement, citing “media pressure and the withdrawal of several artists and partners” as key reasons for pulling the plug.
“This was not an easy decision,” the statement read, though it did not explicitly name West as the cause.
The decision came after widespread criticism of West’s May 8 track, released on the 80th anniversary of Germany’s defeat in World War II.
The song includes lyrics referencing West’s legal battles and ends with an excerpt of a speech by Adolf Hitler.
The release prompted sharp condemnation and renewed concerns over West’s pattern of antisemitic remarks and imagery.
A petition demanding West’s removal from the Rubicon lineup gathered thousands of signatures in the days following his appearance announcement.
Two Slovak groups behind the petition said the rapper was “repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history.”
West, who now goes by the name “Ye,” has previously made headlines for antisemitic outbursts, including public praise for Hitler and repeated use of Nazi-associated imagery.
Despite a long and award-winning career in music—with 24 Grammy Awards to his name—he has become an increasingly polarizing figure, both culturally and politically, over the last few years.
In a separate blow to the rapper, Australian authorities canceled his visa on July 2, also in response to the “Heil Hitler” track.
Immigration officials cited the inclusion of Nazi propaganda in the song as incompatible with Australia’s character standards. West’s wife, Bianca Censori, is Australian.
The Rubicon festival, which describes itself as Slovakia’s leading hip-hop event, was due to feature top American acts Offset and Sheck Wes alongside West.
AFP reported that festival officials declined to comment further when contacted on Thursday.
West has appeared to align himself with far-right causes in recent years.
His controversies have cost him lucrative partnerships, including deals with Adidas and Balenciaga, and drawn widespread criticism from political leaders, civil-rights groups and music-industry peers.
So far, West has not commented publicly on the Rubicon cancellation.
