Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg issued a statement clarifying that two concerts by Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, will not take place at the venue. The stadium had previously announced shows scheduled for October 10 and 11, which sold out rapidly with some tickets priced at approximately £1390 each. The venue stated that it neither organized the event nor signed a contract with the promoter, asserting that Moscow-based concert agency Say Agency held responsibility for the arrangement.
Say Agency responded to Gazprom Arena’s announcement by expressing surprise at learning of the venue’s position simultaneously with the public. The agency maintained that the Ye concert had not been formally cancelled as of the statement, noting that a rental contract had not been finalized before its scheduled expiration. Say Agency indicated it had announced the concerts after receiving approval through an official letter from the arena.
The planned performances generated controversy both internationally and domestically. Multiple Western nations, including the UK, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and France, have blocked or attempted to block Ye’s concerts citing public safety concerns related to his prior antisemitic statements and expressions of sympathy toward nazism. In January, Ye issued an apology for his remarks and addressed mental health considerations in his statement. Within Russia, political figures called for investigation into the artist and suggested the concerts should be cancelled unless Ye made statements supporting Russia’s military operations.
Ye’s potential appearance in Russia represented what would have been the largest Western artist performance in the country since the start of the Ukraine conflict. The artist has maintained an active touring schedule across multiple regions, including recent performances in the US, Turkey, the Netherlands, Georgia, Albania, Portugal and Kazakhstan, with additional dates planned. These concerts support his 12th solo album, released in March.
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