Ye’s sold-out St. Petersburg concerts cancelled after weeks of uncertainty
Promoter Say Agency confirmed the Oct. 10–11 Gazprom Arena dates will not go ahead; Russia’s foreign ministry had called the shows unacceptable over Ye’s praise of Hitler.
What we know: Two sold-out concerts by Ye — the rapper formerly known as Kanye West — scheduled for Oct. 10 and 11 at St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena have been cancelled, the Guardian, BBC, and The Independent reported. Moscow-based promoter Say Agency said on Telegram that the shows “will not be able to take place” on the scheduled dates and that ticket refunds would be available from Monday, Oct. 12, with rules to follow.
The cancellation ends weeks of confusion. Gazprom Arena had initially promoted the dates, then said in August it had not signed a rental agreement and would not host the gigs, acknowledging complaints about the booking, the BBC and Guardian reported. Say Agency had said it was trying to resolve the venue dispute before confirming the shows were off.
Why the backlash: Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously called the planned shows unacceptable because of Ye’s “glorification” of Adolf Hitler, the Guardian and Independent reported. Last year Ye sold swastika T-shirts and released a song titled Heil Hitler. In January he took out a Wall Street Journal ad apologizing, writing that he is “not a Nazi or an antisemite” and blaming a manic episode linked to bipolar disorder.
A Russian politician had also urged cancellation unless Ye publicly backed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Guardian reported. The concerts would have been among the largest by a Western act in Russia since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and would have flouted cultural boycott calls.
Touring context: Ye returned to major live dates in 2026, including a Los Angeles stadium show in April and dates in Europe and elsewhere. Other shows have been blocked or cancelled, including UK Wireless Festival appearances after a visa denial and an Italy date stopped over community concerns, the BBC and Independent said. Ye had not publicly commented on the St. Petersburg cancellation at the time of those reports.
What this means: Organizers have finally ended the St. Petersburg run after venue and political opposition — another high-profile date cancelled amid fallout from Ye’s antisemitic statements, even as he continues to tour in countries that still allow him to perform.