Kanye West's Russia Concerts Sell Out as European Tour Faces Cancellations
Ye, the artist formerly recognized as Kanye West, is set to hold two concerts at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg, Russia, this October, which has a capacity of 70,000. This event signifies the largest performance by a Western musician since the onset of the Ukraine invasion. Tickets, priced between 9,000 and 160,000 roubles (£78–£1,394), sold out within hours. This comes as he seeks to mend his image following antisemitic comments for which he apologized in January, attributing his behavior to a brain injury and bipolar disorder. His European tour has faced challenges, including multiple concert cancellations, such as the Wireless Festival in the UK. His antisemitic comments began in 2022, resulting in account suspensions and lost partnerships.
Key facts
- Ye (Kanye West) will play two shows at Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg, Russia, in October 2026.
- Tickets sold out within hours, priced 9,000–160,000 roubles.
- He is the biggest Western star to perform in Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- He apologized in January for antisemitic remarks, citing brain injury and bipolar disorder.
- The UK denied him entry, cancelling the Wireless Festival; concerts in France, Poland, Italy and Czech Republic were also called off.
- In Madrid, up to 60% of the audience were foreigners, per RTVE.
- Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov suggested West sing traditional Russian songs.
- Adidas and Balenciaga ended relationships with West after his 2022 antisemitic remarks.
Entities
Artists
- Kanye West
- Ye
- Gosha Rubchinskiy
- Vitaly Milonov
- Jason Derulo
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Lana Del Rey
- Muse
- System of a Down
- Tyga
- DaBaby
- Akon
- Lil Pump
- Javier Villuendas
- Daniel Caballero
Institutions
- Gazprom Arena
- Wireless Festival
- Home Office
- RTVE
- Mondo Sonoro
- Adidas
- Balenciaga
- Wall Street Journal
Locations
- St Petersburg
- Russia
- Moscow
- Madrid
- Spain
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- France
- Poland
- Italy
- Czech Republic
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- Turkey
- Albania
- Europe