Russia abruptly cancels concerts by Putin supporter Kanye West after alleged 'call from above'

American rapper Kanye West's planned concerts in St. Petersburg, Russia, were abruptly canceled on Aug. 26, according to organizers. The rapper had scheduled two concerts on Oct. 10 and 11, with tickets already being sold. However, the St. Petersburg stadium, Gazprom Arena, reportedly claimed it had not signed any contracts for the shows and had no plans to host West.

The cancellation reportedly followed a phone call from Moscow. West was set to receive over 1.5 billion rubles for the performances. The agency organizing the concerts insisted that the shows would take place and had received a contract from Gazprom Arena, expecting to sign it by Aug. 27. Russian media personality Ksenia Sobchak criticized the decision, suggesting that West's concerts could have distracted Russians from the elections and the war, but acknowledged that "informers" won.

West's past public praise of Adolf Hitler resurfaced online ahead of his planned visit to Russia, leading to several Russian activists filing complaints with the country's Culture Ministry. The rapper previously had his performances canceled in various countries due to controversy over his antisemitic statements. In 2025, West expressed admiration for Hitler, sold a swastika-themed T-shirt, and released a song titled "Heil Hitler." He has also repeatedly expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin.