Two stadium concerts in Russia by U.S. rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, have been canceled, Moscow-based organizer Say Agency announced Wednesday.
Ye had been scheduled to perform at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg on Oct. 10 and 11 in what would have been one of the largest concert appearances by a Western music star in Russia since the country launched its war on Ukraine in 2022.
"With sincere regret,” Say Agency said on Telegram that the concerts would not be able to proceed on the scheduled dates.
The company said it would issue a further statement regarding the status of the project and its future plans.
Ticket holders will be able to apply for refunds beginning Monday, Oct. 12, with further details about the process to be released later, according to the organizer.
The cancellation follows weeks of uncertainty over whether the concerts had been formally approved by the stadium.
Gazprom Arena said in August that it had not signed a rental agreement with Say Agency and therefore could not host the concerts.
The organizer disputed the venue’s account at the time, saying it had announced the shows after receiving an official letter approved by the stadium. It acknowledged that the final rental agreement had not been signed but said it was working to resolve the dispute.
Say Agency initially insisted that the concerts had not been canceled and that preparations were continuing before confirming Wednesday that they could not go ahead.
The planned performances also faced criticism over Ye’s history of antisemitic statements, praise for Adolf Hitler and use of Nazi imagery.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the proposal to host the concerts, describing Ye’s glorification of Hitler and use of swastikas as unacceptable.
The controversy carried particular sensitivity in Russia, where millions were killed during Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II and where the government regularly invokes the war in its public messaging.
Some pro-war Russian bloggers also questioned why an American artist should be given such a prominent platform while Washington continued providing military and financial assistance to Ukraine.
Ye issued an apology for his past conduct in a full-page Wall Street Journal advertisement in January. He said he had "lost touch with reality” during a mental health crisis and expressed regret over his antisemitic statements and use of swastika imagery.
He said his condition did not excuse his actions and pledged to pursue treatment and meaningful change.
The rapper has faced bans and concert cancellations in several European countries over his remarks and actions. Planned appearances in the U.K., Poland, Italy and France were among those canceled or blocked.
Ye has not publicly commented on the cancellation of the St. Petersburg concerts.
