Kanye West’s planned return to Russia has ended in an embarrassing collapse, with two sold-out St. Petersburg concerts officially canceled.
West, also known as Ye, had been scheduled to perform at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, where the Russian president grew up, on October 10 and 11.
However, a week after the concerts were announced in mid-August, Gazprom Arena said it had never signed a rental agreement with the Moscow-based promoter, Say Agency, throwing the concerts into limbo.
“Gazprom Arena was not and is not the organizer of this event. This was handled by the Moscow-based concert agency Say Agency,” Gazprom Arena said on its official Instagram account. “Gazprom Arena did not sign any stadium rental agreements for the event. There is no such agreement. Accordingly, the concert cannot take place at our venue.”
Say Agency finally confirmed the cancellation Wednesday.
“Friends, it is with sincere regret that we inform you that the YE concerts in St. Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates. We will issue an official statement regarding the status of the project and our future plans in the near future,” the agency said on Telegram.
Had the concerts gone ahead, Ye would have become the first major Western artist to perform in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
The rapper has had a series of his shows canceled amid backlash over his antisemitic statements and Nazi imagery, including his release of the song “Heil Hitler” and the sale of swastika-branded merchandise.
Ye apologized in January, writing: “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.” He added: “It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
Even Say Agency acknowledged his history, saying in a Telegram post in August: “Not everything Kanye West said should be forgotten.” The agency added that “it’s easy to judge” and “more difficult to listen to a person who has been changing the industry for decades.”
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the concerts, arguing that they were inappropriate and accusing YE of what she called the “glorification” of Hitler.
Ye has also had shows canceled in Poland, Italy and France over the past year, and a festival he was due to headline in the U.K. was called off.
