American rapper Kanye West’s planned concerts in St Petersburg, Russia, have been cancelled after weeks of uncertainty over the venue and event arrangements.
West, who performs as Ye, was scheduled to perform at Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11, 2026.
Moscow-based promoter Say Agency announced the cancellation on Wednesday, September 30, without stating a reason. It said ticket refunds would begin on October 12, with details to be announced.
The concerts were unveiled on August 17, with tickets reportedly priced between 9,000 and 160,000 roubles. Say Agency said 81,000 tickets were sold on the first day.
The shows became uncertain after Gazprom Arena said on August 24 that it had not reached an agreement with the promoter to host them.
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The dispute continued into September, and the two St Petersburg dates disappeared from West’s official tour schedule on September 18. His US tour partner, Access Opera, confirmed the cancellation on September 29, a day before Say Agency issued its own announcement.
The affair also generated complaints from ticket buyers. Russian media reported that police were examining possible fraud allegations involving Say Agency, while Russia’s consumer protection authority issued a warning following complaints. No criminal case had been established against the organiser at the time.
The planned performances had also drawn controversy over West’s previous antisemitic remarks, including statements expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and Nazi imagery. Russian officials and public figures offered differing views on the proposed shows.
The cancellation follows West’s 2024 visit to Moscow for fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy’s birthday. Although speculation of a performance followed the visit, West did not stage a public concert.
The cancelled St Petersburg shows would have been West’s first major concerts in Russia and among the highest-profile performances by a Western music star there since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
West has not publicly commented on the cancellation.