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Slovakian festival cancelled following protests over Kanye West's performance

An upcoming music festival in Slovakia has been cancelled amid protests over Kanye West's scheduled headline performance.

The Stronger rapper was due to headline the Rubicon Festival outside of Bratislava on 20 July, marking what organisers claimed was his only European show of the year.

However, they faced pressure from protesters about his booking, given his history of antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements, and local Slovak artists began to drop out.

Organisers announced on Wednesday that the festival, which was set to run from 18 to 20 July, would no longer go ahead "due to external pressure and logistical challenges".

They wrote on Instagram, "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."

They added, "We understand this news is disappointing, and we truly apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused."

Local media in Slovakia claimed the venue was still an unharvested wheat field outside of Bratislava, while another reported that the rapper will perform in Prague, Czech Republic in September instead. This has yet to be confirmed.

In June, a petition was launched calling for West to be dropped from the festival line-up. In the petition, which has been signed by more than 6,000 people, the organisers accused the hip-hop star of "repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and (an) ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history".

In addition to his antisemitic statements, West also released the pro-Nazi song Heil Hitler and sold swastika T-shirts on his website earlier this year.

The Touch the Sky hitmaker has yet to address the cancellation.

Photo: Cover Media
Source: Cover Media
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