Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg has cancelled Kanye West's scheduled concerts, citing that no rental agreement had been signed with concert promoters Say Agency. The shows, sold out for 10 and 11 October, would have marked the first major Western performance in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Say Agency, Gazprom Arena did not provide a clear reason for cancelling the concerts, claiming only that they could not proceed without a signed agreement. The cancellation comes amid controversy over West's past antisemitic remarks and his efforts to rehabilitate his image.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
The Russian stadium that was scheduled to host two shows by Ye, the rapper also known as Kanye West, has said the events will no longer take place.
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events → publish → place
In a social media post, external, St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena said no rental agreement had been signed with the concert promoters.
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agreement → say → promoters
"Accordingly, the concert cannot take place on our site."
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concert → take → site
West would have been the first major Western performer to play Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
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it → play → 2022
The rapper is trying to rehabilitate his image after years of antisemitic remarks, for which he recently apologised.
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he → try → which
Gazprom Arena acknowledged it had received complaints about West's planned appearance and stressed that it "was not and is not" responsible for his booking.
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it → acknowledge → booking
The stadium said in its statement that the sold-out concerts, scheduled for 10 and 11 October, had been organised by the Moscow-based Say Agency.
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concerts → say → Agency
Posting on its Telegram channel, Say Agency said the stadium's announcement had come as a surprise.
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announcement → post → surprise
"We learned about [it] at the same time as you did, through the media," the agency wrote.
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agency → learn → media
"As of now, the Ye concert has not been canceled," it added in a follow-up message.
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it → cancel → message
"We are trying to contact the venue to find out the reason for the post and resolve the issue.
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We → try → issue
We will keep you updated."
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We → keep → you
The BBC has contacted West's publicist for a comment on the uncertainty over his Russian shows.
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BBC → contact → shows
In its statement, Say Agency said it announced the concerts earlier this month based "on an official letter that was approved by" Gazprom Arena.
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that → say → Arena
The stadium subsequently sent a rental agreement, Say Agency claimed, and the agency acknowledged the contract had not yet been signed but said the deadline to do so did not expire until later this week.
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deadline → send → week
Last week, Gazprom Arena had posted enthusiastically about the concerts on social media, calling Ye "the most influential musical artist of our time".
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Arena → post → time
Fans reacted to its latest announcement with disappointment.
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Fans → react → disappointment
"This was the shortest concert of my life," responded one, under Say Agency's Telegram post.
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one → respond → post
"It's a shame that the government is putting obstacles in your way," added another.
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another → put → way
There is no indication that authorities intervened in the shows, but there has been opposition to West's booking from some Russian politicians.
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authorities → be → politicians
Vitaly Milonov, a notorious conservative lawmaker, suggested the star should perform traditional Russian songs instead of his planned setlist, reflecting the anti-Western views of many nationalists.
"Maybe after this he'll stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person," Milonov added in a video statement.
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Milonov → suggest → statement
West's antisemitic remarks began in 2022, when he made a series of offensive comments on social media that led to his accounts being suspended.
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accounts → begin → media
Fashion brands like Adidas and Balenciaga also ended their relationships with the star.
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brands → end → star
The musician went on to declare he was "a Nazi", releasing a song called Heil Hitler and selling T-shirts featuring the swastika.
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he → go → swastika
This January, West apologised in a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, writing: "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite."
Reflecting on a "four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour", he said he was "deeply mortified" by his actions and that his bipolar disorder meant "you're manic [and] you don't think you're sick".
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you → apologise → actions
However, some questioned the timing of his statement - which coincided with the release of a new album, Bully, and the start of his world tour.
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which → question → tour
He held his first major concert in the United States in more than five years in Los Angeles in April, but planned shows in England, France, Italy and Poland have been cancelled over his past behaviour.
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shows → hold → behaviour
Say Agency acknowledged the controversy in a Telegram post last week, external, but defended its decision to bring West to Russia.
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Agency → acknowledge → Russia
"Not everything Kanye West said should be forgotten," it said.
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it → say → ?
"Many people are talking about Kanye today.
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people → talk → Kanye
Many are trying to criticise him for words spoken during difficult times.
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Many → try → times
"But it's easy to judge based on a single statement.
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it → judge → statement
It's more difficult to listen to a person who has been changing the industry for decades.
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who → listen → decades
We listened, and we want to remind you."
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we → listen → you
