Two concerts by American rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, scheduled to take place in Russia this month have been officially cancelled after weeks of uncertainty over whether the performances would go ahead.
The shows were scheduled for October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg and would have made Ye one of the most prominent Western artists to perform in Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Moscow-based promoter Say Agency confirmed that the concerts would not take place on the scheduled dates, expressing regret and saying further information about the project would be announced later.
Questions surrounding the shows had persisted since August, when Gazprom Arena said it had not signed a rental agreement with the promoters and would not host the performances. Organisers initially maintained that they were attempting to resolve the situation before formally confirming the cancellation.
The proposed concerts had also attracted criticism inside Russia over Ye’s previous antisemitic remarks and expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was among those who publicly criticised the planned performances.
Ye has since apologised for his previous statements, saying he had lost touch with reality while dealing with mental health problems. The rapper has faced continuing consequences from the controversy, including cancellations and restrictions affecting performances in several European countries.
The Russian dates are the latest setback to Ye’s return to large-scale touring. He resumed major live performances earlier this year and has since staged concerts in the United States and parts of Europe.
Ye has not publicly commented on the cancellation of the St Petersburg shows.
