Kanye West has reportedly started to plan for a massive concert in Reggio Emilia, Italy, that will entertain more than 80,000 people on Friday (October 13). According to the Italian newspaper ReggiOnline — which bills itself as the “official voice” of the northern Italian city — West has reportedly dispatched all the necessary workers to construct a stage in preparation for the Friday the 13th event.
However, the outlet also makes clear that while the “Through the Wire” rapper may be dispatching the necessary field workers to get the proverbial party started, he hasn’t gotten the necessary authorizations from the Italian governing bodies to officially launch the concert at that date and time.
“Nel caso si arrivasse lunghi, sul tavolo c’è anche la data del venerdì successivo,” reports the outlet. “Anche sulla chat dei volontari impegnati nei grandi concerti dell’estate appena conclusa è partito un sondaggio per capire chi potrà essere presente e chi no.”
Translation: in the event the authorizations aren’t forthcoming, the date of the following Friday (which would be October 20) is also on the table.
Additionally, there is speculation that the preparations are merely for an end-of-summer concert, and the rumors of who could be performing still hang in the air, especially in the absence of official confirmation from West’s camp or other camps.
If the surprise Kanye West concert does, indeed, take place, it would be hosted at the RCF Arena, which is located at the former site of the Campovolo airport, and could, indeed, accommodate that many people. The Arena’s website, however, has not made any announcement about any concert on October 13, let alone a Kanye West concert.
For what it’s worth, Kanye West last performed in Italy on August 7, when Travis Scott debuted UTOPIA in front of 60,000 Italian fans. That show marked the first time West had hit the stage since he made a string of antisemitic and anti-BLM comments in 2022.