St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena has announced it will no longer host two planned concerts by rapper Ye, also known as Kanye West. The stadium stated in a social media post that no rental agreement had been signed with the concert promoters, adding, "Accordingly, the concert cannot take place on our site."
The sold-out concerts, organised by Moscow-based Say Agency, were scheduled for 10 and 11 October. Gazprom Arena also acknowledged receiving complaints about West's planned appearance.
Say Agency, however, said the stadium's announcement came as a surprise, stating on its Telegram channel, "As of now, the Ye concert has not been canceled." The agency claims it announced the concerts based on an official letter approved by Gazprom Arena and that a rental agreement was sent, with the signing deadline not yet expired.
West's planned performances would have marked his first major shows in Russia and his first as a major Western artist since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The rapper recently apologised for antisemitic remarks made since 2022, which led to account suspensions and fashion brand partnerships ending.