Russian stadium says it won't host Kanye West gigs

A St. Petersburg stadium has announced it will no longer host two scheduled concerts by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, throwing his historic Russian tour dates into uncertainty.

In a social media statement, Gazprom Arena revealed that no formal rental agreement had been signed with the event’s concert promoters, concluding that "according to this, the concert cannot take place on our site." The venue also acknowledged receiving public complaints regarding Ye's planned appearances on October 10 and 11, clarifying that it was not responsible for booking the artist.

Had the shows gone ahead, West would have been the first major Western artist to perform in Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement caught concert organizers off guard. Moscow-based Say Agency expressed surprise on its Telegram channel, stating it learned of the venue's decision through the media.

"As of now, the Ye concert has not been canceled," the agency asserted, adding that it was reaching out to stadium management to resolve the issue. Say Agency claimed the announcement was originally backed by an official letter from Gazprom Arena and that while the rental contract remained unsigned, the deadline to finalize it had not yet passed.

Just last week, Gazprom Arena had publicly praised Ye on social media, calling him "the most influential musical artist of our time." The sudden reversal left fans disappointed, with one user writing on Telegram, "This was the shortest concert of my life."

While there is no official confirmation of state intervention, the planned shows had drawn backlash from nationalist Russian politicians. Conservative lawmaker Vitaly Milonov criticized West's past behavior, suggesting the rapper swap his setlist for traditional Russian songs in hopes that he might "stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person."

The controversy comes as West attempts to rebuild his career following years of extreme antisemitic remarks, including social media rants, claiming he was "a Nazi," and selling merchandise featuring swastikas—actions that cost him major brand partnerships with Adidas and Balenciaga.

In January, West published a full-page apology in *The Wall Street Journal*, attributing his actions to a "four-month-long manic episode" linked to his bipolar disorder. However, critics questioned the sincerity of the apology, noting it coincided with the launch of his new album, *Bully*, and a surrounding world tour.

While West recently performed his first major U.S. concert in five years in Los Angeles, scheduled dates in England, France, Italy, and Poland have all been canceled due to his past behavior.

Defending its decision to bring the controversial star to Russia, Say Agency posted last week: "It's easy to judge based on a single statement. It's more difficult to listen to a person who has been changing the industry for decades. We listened, and we want to remind you."

West’s publicist has not yet commented on the status of the St. Petersburg shows.

Source: BBC