The St Petersburg stadium originally scheduled to host two concerts by the US rap star Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has announced that the events will not take place at the venue (The Guardian). The rapper would have become the biggest Western act to perform in Russia since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
Gazprom Arena Backs Out of Planned Ye Concerts
Tickets for the 10 and 11 October shows were advertised on the website of Moscow-based events organizer Say Agency (CTV News). Gazprom Arena had previously shared enthusiastic social media posts promoting the events, describing Ye as the most influential musical artist of our time
and proclaiming, This is no joke!
(The Guardian).
However, Gazprom Arena released a statement distancing itself from the bookings, stating that it was not the organizer and had not signed any lease contracts for the stadium (The Guardian). Say Agency expressed surprise at the announcement, learning of the venue’s withdrawal through the media at the same time as the public, but maintained that the concerts had not been cancelled. The promoter claimed it announced the shows based on an approved official letter from the venue, adding that the rental contract deadline was not set to expire until later in the week.
Ticket Sales, Outrage, and Controversy
The announced shows drew immediate public attention, with tickets ranging from around $100 to nearly $2,000, including some priced at £1,390 ($1,896) (The Guardian, CTV News). According to state media, over 100,000 tickets had already been sold, with the cheapest selling out within hours (Kyiv Post). Following the venue’s withdrawal, social media users expressed anger and confusion, with one user writing on Telegram, Give the people their money back, you clowns
(CTV News).
The planned performances also brought international and domestic backlash. Countries including the UK, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and France had previously blocked or sought to block concerts by Ye due to public safety concerns over prior antisemitic outbursts and expressions of sympathy toward Nazism (The Guardian). Ye has previously voiced admiration for Adolf Hitler and declared his love for Nazis, though he later issued apologies (CTV News). In January, he took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal attributing his past behavior to his bipolar disorder (CTV News).
Divided Russian Official Reaction
Russian officials remained divided on whether the concerts should proceed (CTV News). Some officials welcomed the appearance in hopes of dispelling the notion that Russia is isolated over the war in Ukraine (CTV News). Others expressed concern given the rapper’s past praise of Nazi Germany, a particularly sensitive issue in Russia (CTV News).
Ekaterina Mizulina, the head of Russia’s internet safety watchdog, labeled West an admirer of Adolf Hitler and appeared to criticize the planned St Petersburg performance, recalling that the city endured a devastating, two-and-a-half-year Nazi siege during World War II (CTV News). Politician Nikolay Novichkov called for the musician to be investigated for praising Hitler, suggesting the shows be canceled unless Ye declared moral support for Russia and its military operation (The Guardian). Meanwhile, conservative lawmaker Vitaly Milonov suggested that the artist perform traditional Russian songs instead of his regular setlist.
