{
  "id": 3326119,
  "title": "Fans paid up to 160,000 rubles for Kanye West’s October concerts in Russia. Many are now asking how they can get a refund.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/fans-paid-up-to-160-000-rubles-for-kanye-wests-october-concerts-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T18:12:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/08/25/fans-paid-up-to-160-000-rubles-for-kanye-west-s-october-concerts-in-russia-many-are-now-asking-how-they-can-get-a-refund"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The concert promoter, Say Agency, had announced that Kanye West, also known as Ye, would perform at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg on October 10 and 11. Ticket sales opened on the website yerussia2026.ru with prices ranging from 9,000 to 160,000 rubles. The cheapest tickets sold out rapidly. Sources cited on the Telegram channel Mash reported that the contract with Kanye West had already been signed and that payment had been transferred. Later, a screenshot of the ticket seller's terms of sale began circulating, stating that the organizers could replace the performer and keep the buyers' money. Say Agency CEO Anna Subcheva later clarified that this clause was a mistake. Pro-war activists and lawmakers objected to the plans, with some demanding that the rapper endorse Russia's stance in the Ukraine war and others criticizing his antisemitic remarks. The organizers stated that Gazprom Arena had not issued a rental agreement and insisted that the event would proceed. However, as of August 24, Gazprom Arena denied the rental agreement and continued to insist that the concert could not take place without one. Ticket buyers are now asking how they can get their money back.",
  "summary": "The concert promoter, Say Agency, announced that the rapper Ye, also known as Kanye West, would perform on October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, a venue that seats about 80,000 people. Ticket sales opened on the website yerussia2026.ru, where seats ranged from 9,000 to 160,000 rubles. The cheapest sold out within hours. Mash, a Telegram channel with ties to Russia’s security…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "GBC Ghana",
        "title": "Russian stadium says it will not host Kanye West gigs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/russian-stadium-says-it-will-not-host-kanye-west-gigs",
        "published": "2026-08-25T15:57:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}