Why was Kanye West banned from performing in Prague? Mayor claims "we must not give room"

Kanye West has been banned from performing in Prague after his repeated antisemitic comments. Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, while speaking to local news outlets, iDnes.cz, made it clear that the American rapper is not welcome in the Czech Republic capital following reports that Ye's canceled July appearance at the Rubikon festival in Slovakia could be moved to Prague:

"There is no request to organize such a concert, and if we were asked, we would not approve it."

In a separate interview with another news outlet heyfomo.cz, the Mayor noted that "there is no room for antisemitism in Prague."

Deputy mayor Jiri Pospisil, who oversees cultural affairs, mentioned that Prague should not provide a platform that openly praised and supported Adolf Hitler and N*zi values:

"Prague is not the place to celebrate Na**sm. We experienced firsthand the horrors of the Second World War, and we must not give room to people who glorify these crimes."

He also added:

"I am strongly against Kanye West performing in Prague. A person who does not hide his admiration for Hitler has no business in Prague."

Kanye West has been public about his antisemitic stance. On May 8, 2025, West released a song glorifying Adolf Hitler with the title, 'Heil Hitler.' The video had been banned by YouTube. The video clip of the song features dozens of Black men wearing animal pelts and masks standing in a block formation chanting Heil Hitler, and ends with an extract of a speech by Adolf Hitler.

What countries is Kanye West banned from?

Czech Republic is one of the few countries where Kanye West is reportedly banned from performing. On July 2, 2025, Australian officials confirmed that the rapper's visa had been revoked after he released Heil Hitler. His song, Heil Hitler, is also banned in Germany due to strict laws prohibiting Na*i symbolism and hate speech.

As per reports, in March 2024, West declined to participate in Brazil's Copacabana show by both promoters and city officials. Various European countries, including France, the UK, Spain, Italy, and Scandinavian countries, have refused to host him. His scheduled performance at the Rubican Festival in Bratislava was canceled due to public backlash over his Heil Hitler song.

Recently, Czech human rights activists have been petitioning to stop a possible Kanye concert in Prague. Lawyers, artists, filmmakers, human rights advocates, and former ombudsman Anna Sabatov sent an open letter to the mayor last week and urged him to prevent the concert.

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