{
  "id": 2009718,
  "title": "Ye (Kanye West) sold 100,000 tickets to two St. Petersburg stadium shows in two days. Now a Russian lawmaker wants the concerts canceled unless he declares ‘moral support’ for the war on Ukraine.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/ye-kanye-west-sold-100-000-tickets-to-two-st-petersburg-stadium-shows",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-19T20:34:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/08/19/ye-kanye-west-sold-100-000-tickets-to-two-st-petersburg-stadium-shows-in-two-days-now-a-russian-lawmaker-wants-the-concerts-canceled-unless-he-declares-moral-support-for-the-war-on-ukraine"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 10 and 11, American rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, will perform at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. Tickets for the two shows have sold out within two days, sparking discussion among Russian lawmakers, public figures, and social media users. State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov has suggested Ye incorporate Russian chanson into his setlist, proposing songs by Mikhail Krug or performing duets with Mikhail Shufutinsky. However, Shaman, a pro-war Russian singer, reportedly declined the invitation, with organizers denying any talks. Other artists, such as Leningrad and Kolobok, have also been considered for appearances. Lawmakers disagree on whether Ye's visit should proceed, with some calling for cancellation unless he declares \"moral support\" for Russia's war in Ukraine.",
  "summary": "On October 10 and 11, American rapper Ye (Kanye West) will perform at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. Organizers say they have sold more than 100,000 tickets in the first two days. And the hype shows no sign of fading: lawmakers in the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament), public figures, and, of course, social media users are all discussing Ye’s visit. Meduza rounded up the biggest…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ye's St. Petersburg concerts sold 100,000 tickets in two days",
    "Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov demands moral support for Ukraine war",
    "Proposed Russian chanson setlist rejected by Shaman singer"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Ukraine’s new defense minister outlines mobilization approach and troop support",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/ukraines-new-defense-minister-outlines-mobilization-approach-and",
        "published": "2026-08-19T13:13:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}