Kanye West Russia concerts face uncertainty after Gazprom Arena rejects hosting the shows.
Say Agency insists Kanye West’s October concerts have not been cancelled.
Gazprom Arena says no rental agreement was signed with concert promoters.
Kanye West's Russia concerts planned for St Petersburg have been thrown into uncertainty after Gazprom Arena said the venue would not host the rapper’s scheduled shows. The stadium said no rental agreement had been signed with the concert promoters, meaning the events could not take place at the venue.
Kanye West Russia concerts face venue dispute
Gazprom Arena said in a social media statement that it had received complaints about West’s planned appearance but stressed that it “was not and is not” responsible for booking the rapper. The concerts had been announced as sold-out events by Moscow-based Say Agency.
Say Agency said the stadium’s announcement came as a surprise, claiming it had learnt about the development through the media. The agency maintained that the concert had not been cancelled and said it was attempting to contact the venue.
According to the agency, the shows were announced earlier this month based on an official letter approved by Gazprom Arena. It also claimed that the stadium had subsequently sent a rental agreement, although the contract had not yet been signed.
The two concerts were scheduled for October 10 and 11. If they went ahead, West would become the first major Western performer to stage a concert in Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Kanye West’s controversial history
The proposed concerts have also attracted criticism because of West’s history of antisemitic remarks. Kanye's comments in 2022 led to social media suspensions and the loss of commercial partnerships with companies including Adidas and Balenciaga.
West later described himself as a Nazi and released material containing Nazi imagery. In January, he apologised through a Wall Street Journal advertisement, stating that he was “not a Nazi or an antisemite”.
Despite the controversy, Say Agency defended its decision to bring him to Russia. In a Telegram statement, the agency said, “Not everything Kanye West said should be forgotten.”
It added, “Many people are talking about Kanye today. Many are trying to criticise him for words spoken during difficult times.”
For now, the fate of the Kanye West Russia concerts remains unclear, with the promoter insisting the shows have not been cancelled while the venue says it cannot host them without a signed agreement.
