Kanye West to perform in Russia after European concert cancellations
The US rapper will play two shows in St. Petersburg after facing bans and cancellations over his remarks about Hitler and Nazism
US rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, will perform two shows in Russia, according to his producer Joseph Karre and local organizer SAY Agency. The concerts will take place at St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11, as part of West’s Ye Live Concert Tour 2026 in support of his 12th album, Bully. This marks one of the few instances of Western big-name artists performing in Russia since February 2022, when many European countries severed cultural ties with Moscow due to the Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian officials and activists have actively dissuaded foreign artists from visiting Russia, pressuring other nations against hosting Russian performers. Moscow, however, dismisses these attempts as futile efforts to "cancel Russian culture." West had previously visited Moscow in June 2024 for a birthday party with designer Gosha Rubchinsky, though their association ended the following year.
The rapper has faced accusations of spreading neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic views via social media and interviews, including statements praising Adolf Hitler and using swastika imagery. He has since apologized, citing bipolar disorder and "poor judgment and reckless behavior." Last year, West was barred from entering Australia and the UK due to his Hitler-related remarks and song.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized organizers for booking West despite his past anti-Semitic remarks. In recent months, West postponed shows in Marseille, France, and Chorzow, Poland, due to authorities seeking to block his entry.
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