Ye could perform in Prague after Rubicon festival in Slovakia called off
Hip-hop festival Rubicon, initially scheduled for late July in the outskirts of Bratislava, has been cancelled. The event’s lineup made waves due to the inclusion of controversial rap star Ye, formerly Kanye West. Now, the festival host destination is claiming that Ye’s concert has been rescheduled to September and relocated to Prague.
Organizers announced the cancellation of this year’s Rubicon festival to fans via Instagram. Doubts about the event’s go-ahead were already raised last week when Ticketportal, the festival’s ticket sales provider, suddenly stopped selling admissions to the rap fest.
The line-up included notable names like Sheck Wes, known for his hit release ‘Mo Bamba’, or Offset, formerly a member of Atlanta rap group Migos. By far the most remarkable inclusion, however, was rapper Ye – better known by former name Kanye West.
The 13th all-time best selling musician and holder of 24 Grammy Awards has not headlined a show since 2021, barring two stage appearances in South Korea and China last year. His planned performance at Rubicon was also subject to efforts of being thwarted. In June, a petition was launched opposing Ye’s concert in Slovakia, denouncing the artist as an outspoken anti-Semite and an admirer of Adolf Hitler.
The prominent rapper has, in fact, previously labelled himself an “anti-Semite”, a “Nazi”, and a “racist”, predominantly using platform X to communicate the message. In May, Ye published a song titled ‘Heil Hitler’, which was subsequently pulled from all major streaming platforms. Last month, he was denied entry into Australia after publicly denying the Holocaust.
Ye also faces a slew of allegations of sexual assault and workplace hostilities. In an unrelated case, the American artist, who also ran an unsuccessful independent Presidential campaign in 2020, has voiced support to fellow rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, currently tried on charges of sex trafficking.
None of the legal troubles and public concerns were explicitly cited by organizers of the Rubicon festival as contributing factors to the event’s cancellation:
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, including external pressure and logistical challenges, we regret to inform you that the Rubicon festival will not take place this year. We are working diligently to resolve the situation and will provide more information in the coming days, including about the ticket refund process,” the statement published on Instagram reads.
In the past couple of days, Slovak media have pointed towards the host venue not yet being readied for the series of performances. Closer also reported financial troubles of festival organizer, Company RV. According to the portal, Czech company Pop Out Entertainment is seeking over €1.1 million from Company RV, claiming it was not paid for the services provided.
Rubicon’s Instagram post also promises updates on the relocation and rescheduling of planned performances. The council of Záhorská Bystrica, the borough of Bratislava originally planned to host the concert, already appears to have clarity about the new destination.
In a written statement, the council indicated that the “Kanye West concert is being moved to September 2025 to Prague”. The Rubicon festival as a whole will now also reportedly take place in Prague, with this year’s postponed 4th annual instalment rescheduled for 2026.
Ye has never performed in Czechia before. In November 2008, he was scheduled to hold a concert at the O2 Arena in Prague, but cancelled the show with a month’s notice for undisclosed reasons.
