The Rubicon music festival was originally scheduled to take place in the Slovakian city of Bratislava next weekend, but this week organizers announced that the whole event had been scrapped. The news follows a public outcry about the festival’s planned headliner, Kanye West.

In recent years the artist otherwise known as Ye has rightly become a pariah for, among other offensive behavior and allegations of abuse, embracing Nazi rhetoric. One instance came on May 8, the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, when West released a song called “Heil Hitler,” which ends with a sample of a 1935 speech by Adolf Hitler.

When Rubicon announced West’s appearance, the festival referred to him as a “hip-hop visionary, cultural icon and controversial genius.” But as The Guardian reported in June, the announcement sparked a petition that called West’s booking “an insult to historic memory, a glorification of wartime violence and debasement of all victims of the Nazi regime.” The petition, which attracted more than 3,500 signatures, speculated that West’s appearance might attract extremists, raising “legitimate concern about the appearance of Nazi symbolism, violent behaviour or the spread of ideology that is unacceptable in a democratic society and criminal in our country.”

This week, Rubicon team pulled the plug on their 2025 plans. Festival organizers alluded to the backlash against West in multiple statements announcing the fest’s cancellation. Here’s the one that captioned their Instagram post:

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.

We are truly grateful for your support and trust. For those who have purchased tickets, please be patient – all refund information will be sent via email within 14 days.

This is not the end of Rubicon. We are not giving up. We’re already working to come back stronger.

With respect,
The Rubicon Festival Team

And here’s the one from the graphic in that same post:

DEAR FANS AND PARTNERS,
WE WOULD LIKE TO SINCERELY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND SUPPORT.

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 UNDERSTAND THIS NEWS IS DISAPPOINTING, AND WE TRULY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE IT MAY HAVE CAUSED.

WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION AND WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION IN THE COMING DAYS, INCLUDING DETAILS ABOUT THE TICKET REFUND PROCESS.

REGARDING PLANNED PERFORMANCES AND THE POTENTIAL RESCHEDULING OF CERTAIN EVENTS, WE WILL SHARE UPDATES AS SOON AS THE SITUATION BECOMES CLEARER AND ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS ARE CONFIRMED.

WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING DURING THIS CHALLENGING TIME, AND WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO BRINGING YOU A FUTURE EVENT THAT MEETS – AND EXCEEDS – YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE REFUND PROCESS WILL BE SENT TO ALL TICKET HOLDERS VIA EMAIL WITHIN 14 DAYS.

WITH RESPECT,

THE RUBICON FESTIVAL TEAM

I guess the Rubicon really was crossed here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RUBICON FESTIVAL (@rubiconfestival)