Kanye West’s Russia Concerts Hit Crisis as Gazprom Arena Denies Booking

Plans by controversial American rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, to perform two concerts in Russia have been thrown into uncertainty after the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg denied responsibility for the shows and said no agreement had been signed to host them.

West was scheduled to perform at the 68,000-capacity stadium on October 10 and 11, with the concerts reportedly selling out shortly after they were announced.

Gazprom Arena said it had received numerous complaints and inquiries concerning West’s planned appearance but stressed that it “was not and is not” responsible for organising the event.

The stadium also said it had not signed a rental agreement with the concert organisers and that no such contract currently existed.

“Consequently, the concert cannot take place at our venue,” the arena said in a statement.

The development has, however, been disputed by the Moscow-based Say Agency, which is promoting the concerts.

The agency said it was surprised by the stadium’s announcement and only became aware of the development through media reports. It maintained that the concerts had not been cancelled and said it was attempting to resolve the dispute with the venue.

According to the promoter, the concerts were announced after an official letter from Gazprom Arena approving the event had been obtained. It added that the rental agreement had not yet been formally signed.

The uncertainty comes after the proposed concerts generated significant attention in Russia, where West would become one of the biggest Western music stars to perform in the country since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The planned performances have also attracted controversy because of West’s history of antisemitic remarks and other inflammatory statements. His appearances have faced opposition and cancellations in several countries.

West issued a public apology earlier this year over some of his past conduct, saying he had lost touch with reality and expressing regret for his previous antisemitic outbursts.

Despite the latest dispute, the promoter insists that the October concerts remain on course, leaving the fate of the performances uncertain as negotiations over the venue continue.

For now, the central question is whether the concerts will proceed at Gazprom Arena, move to another venue or ultimately be cancelled.