Cancellation confirmed after weeks of confusion
Ye, the rapper once known as Kanye West, has had two stadium concerts in Russia formally called off. He had been set to appear at St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena on 10 and 11 October. Before the decision, uncertainty grew because the venue had said it would not welcome him for what would have ranked as the largest performance by a western artist since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. On Telegram, the Moscow-based promoter Say Agency announced the cancellation, expressing sincere regret. It said the St Petersburg dates could not proceed and that an official update on the project and its future plans would follow shortly. Say Agency had earlier stated it was trying to settle the matter with the stadium before confirming the shows were off. The stadium also said it had received complaints regarding West's performance.[S1]
Controversy and criticism surround planned shows
West has lately said sorry for a series of antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks he made in the past, explaining that his bipolar disorder had left him out of touch with reality. Nazi Germany invaded Russia during World War Two, and the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman was among those who condemned the planned concerts. Maria Zakharova called them unacceptable and noted West's praise of Hitler. In 2025, West began selling swastika T-shirts and put out a track titled Heil Hitler. Russian pro-war bloggers likewise asked whether the nation should be hosting an American performer while the US was giving Ukraine financial and military backing. West has not yet spoken publicly about the cancellation.[S1]
Other cancellations and recent performances
In April, he gave his first significant US concert in over five years, in Los Angeles, and has since performed in nations such as Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. Even so, his Russian dates are not the only ones to have been scrapped. West's shows in Poland, Italy and France were also cancelled.[S1]
