In brief
Kanye West, now billed as Ye, had two shows scheduled for 10 and 11 October at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg, but the venue announced it had not signed a rental agreement, leading to the concerts’ cancellation. The decision came amid a broader backlash over West’s recent antisemitic statements, including a new single glorifying Hitler. Russian officials and pro‑war bloggers criticised the shows, and the Prime Minister’s wife and other dignitaries decried the artist’s behaviour. The artist has yet to comment publicly on the cancellation, and the show has been added to a growing list of venues that have pulled him due to his history of hate speech.
Kanye West—now billed as Ye—had two headline shows lined up for 10 and 11 October at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg. The venue revealed in August that it had not signed a rental agreement with the concert promoters, a fact that left the gigs in doubt. On 1 October the organisers on the messaging app Telegram confirmed the concerts had been cancelled with “sincere regret” and promised an official statement soon after.
The decision is part of a growing pattern of cancellations tied to West’s recent history of antisemitic and pro‑Nazi comments. His 2025 single “Heil Hitler” and the sale of swastika shirts drew condemnation from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, which warned the shows were “unacceptable” and accused him of glorifying Hitler. Pro‑war bloggers in Moscow also questioned whether it was right for a U.S. artist to perform in a country that has supplied military aid to Ukraine.
West’s fall from grace has cost him tours worldwide: an intended opening act at London’s Wireless Festival was cancelled after he was barred from entering the UK, and shows in Poland, Italy and France were also called off. His last headline gig in the United States was in Los Angeles in April, following five more years without a major U.S. concert. The artist has not yet made a public comment about the Russian cancellations.
