Two stadium concerts by Ye at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia have reportedly been canceled, according to a message from promoter Say Agency sent via Telegram.
Ye was scheduled to perform on October 10 and 11 at the 80,000-capacity venue. The shows were reportedly sold out but faced uncertainty from the outset. On August 24, Gazprom Arena posted on social media that it had not signed a rental agreement for the events, despite promotional posts made a week earlier.
Say Agency stated: “The Ye concerts in St Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates.” According to a Reuters report, Say Agency expressed its “sincere regret” over the cancellation. Citing Russian media reports, Newsweek said the decision to cancel the shows was made by Russian authorities. The Kommersant newspaper reportedly said organizers of the gigs were under investigation for fraud, while local media reported that government officials had not approved the concerts and that some politicians had objected to Ye’s past embrace of Nazi symbols and support for Adolf Hitler, which is a criminal offense in Russia.
The cancellation comes amid a global cultural boycott of Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ye would have been the first Western rap star to perform in Russia had the shows gone on.
Ye has faced multiple concert cancellations this year, including shows in France, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as a headlining set at London’s Wireless Festival; dates in Italy and India were also canceled, citing security concerns. His touring has continued with shows in Turkey, the Netherlands, Georgia, Albania, Portugal, Spain, Kazakhstan, and several U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, San Antonio, New Orleans and Chicago.
Source: Billboard
