{
  "id": 1652544,
  "title": "“I hope he changed his mind about Hitler and Russia”: Rapper Ye set to perform in St. Petersburg in October",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/i-hope-he-changed-his-mind-about-hitler-and-russia-rapper-ye-set-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T06:28:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Insider",
    "slug": "the-insider",
    "url": "https://theins.press/en/news/296137"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The Chicago-born American rapper Kanye West will perform in Russia for the first time, with concerts scheduled for Oct. 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, the organizer, Say Agency, announced on social media on Aug. 18. Tickets for the event are currently priced from 9,000 (just over $100) to 160,000 rubles (close to $1,900). No performances in other Russian cities have been announced.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Kanye West, now known as Ye, to perform in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 10-11",
    "First-time appearance in Russia for Ye, tickets priced from 9,000 to 160,000 rubles",
    "State Duma committee chair hopes Ye changed views on Hitler and Russia"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Ye's upcoming performance in Russia signals a return to the stage for the rapper after facing backlash for his past comments, and a potential softening of Russia's cultural isolation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}