“I hope he changed his mind about Hitler and Russia”: Rapper Ye set to perform in St. Petersburg in October

Rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, is set to perform in Russia for the first time, with concerts scheduled for October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, organizers Say Agency announced on social media. Tickets for the event are priced from 9,000 to 160,000 rubles. This will be Ye's debut on the Russian stage, although he has visited the country previously, including a surprise visit to Moscow in June 2024.

Elena Drapeko, first deputy chair of Russia's State Duma's culture committee, welcomed West's planned visit but expressed hope that he had changed his views on both Hitler and Russia. Drapeko framed the rapper's visit as a "breakthrough of the blockade," highlighting Russia's escape from Western cultural isolation following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ye has faced significant criticism and condemnation in recent years for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. In 2025, he openly called himself a Nazi and released a song glorifying Hitler. Several of Ye's European performances were canceled due to his antisemitic comments and celebration of Nazism.

However, West has issued numerous apologies for his past actions, attributing them to undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder. Latvia has also canceled a concert by U.S. rapper Xzibit due to his previous performances in Russia.