Organisers pull festival amid petitions, artist withdrawals, and safety concerns.
Slovakia’s Rubicon Festival, scheduled for July 18–20 near Bratislava, has been officially cancelled following public outcry over Kanye West’s (legally Ye) planned headline performance.
More than 3500 people signed a petition, supported by groups like Peace for Ukraine and Cities for Democracy, calling Ye’s scheduled appearance “an insult to historic memory, a glorification of wartime violence and debasement of all victims of the Nazi regime.”
The petition specifically referenced Ye’s song Heil Hitler, released earlier this year, which samples a 1935 Hitler speech and was subsequently banned on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Organisers announced the cancellation via Instagram, stating the decision was “due to external pressure and logistical challenges,” including media scrutiny and the withdrawal of participating artists and partners.
Reports from Slovak media revealed the intended venue, an undeveloped wheat field on the outskirts of Bratislava, remained unprepared just weeks before the festival, raising serious logistical concerns.
Ye’s involvement sparked immediate outrage from local officials, who said they had not been consulted, and from Slovak leaders mindful of Holocaust history, which saw over 70,000 Jews deported under the Nazi regime.
In the days that followed, several Slovak artists publicly withdrew, with some calling for the event’s cancellation.
Earlier this month, Australian officials confirmed that Ye’s visa had been revoked in response to the rapper’s latest song release, effectively banning him from entering the country.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC, “he’s made a lot of offensive comments that my officials looked at again once he released the Heil Hitler song and he no longer has a valid visa in Australia.”
Although the official cancellation statement did not specifically name Ye, the timing and nature of the decision have been widely interpreted as a direct response to the backlash.
Rubicon organisers apologised to ticket holders and confirmed refunds would be processed within two weeks. No rescheduled dates have been announced.
Whether future iterations go ahead or not, Rubicon’s 2025 cancellation marks a definitive clash between music and accountability – one the festival world can’t afford to ignore.
Words By Loc Ziesing.
