Kanye West concerts in St. Petersburg canceled

US rapper Kanye West's concerts in Russia planned for October have been canceled. The performances planned for October 10th and 11th in St. Petersburg “cannot take place on the scheduled dates,” as the organizer Say Agency announced in online networks. Fans should get the ticket price refunded. The organizers did not give a reason for the cancellation.

West, who now performs under the stage name Ye, has repeatedly made negative headlines in recent years with anti-Semitic statements. Several of the rapper's concerts in European cities were canceled as a result.

The announced shows in St. Petersburg caused controversial discussions in Russia. Several Russian MPs viewed this as a victory over “anti-Russian hysteria”. Critics, however, pointed to the musician's glorifying statements about Adolf Hitler. Among other things, West released a song called “Heil Hitler” in 2025. The rapper recently justified his anti-Semitic statements with bipolar disorder and emphasized that he was neither a Nazi nor an anti-Semite.