Kanye West is set to become one of the first major Western artists to perform in Russia since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, breaking the widespread cultural boycott observed by most musicians. Two shows have been announced at St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena on 10 and 11 October, with tickets for the 70,000-capacity venue selling out within hours of going on sale, despite the move being likely to attract further controversy given West's recent history.

Prices ranged from 9,000 to 160,000 roubles (roughly £78 to £1,394), and the dates form part of West's ongoing comeback tour, which began at SoFi Stadium in April and has since included stops in the Netherlands and Turkey. A Russian lawmaker, Vitaly Milonov, suggested West should perform traditional Russian songs rather than his usual set. The Russia dates come amid a run of cancellations elsewhere over West's history of anti-Semitic remarks and Nazi imagery, including a scrapped Wireless Festival headline slot after the UK government barred him from entering the country, plus cancelled shows in Poland, Switzerland, France and Italy.