# Russian stadium says it will not host Kanye concerts – but promoter says shows have not been cancelled

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/russian-stadium-says-it-will-not-host-kanye-concerts-but-promoter-says-shows-have-not-been-cancelled/
- Published: 2026-08-25T12:13:33+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-25T18:15:00+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/25/kanye-west-ye-russia-concert-st-petersburg-gazprom-arena
- Topics: Culture, Entertainment, Europe, Music, World

## Key points

- Gazprom Arena denies hosting Ye's October Russia shows, citing no signed contract
- Promoter Say Agency insists the sold-out concerts remain uncancelled
- Plan had drawn criticism abroad over Ye's past antisemitic remarks

## Summary

St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena has ultimately distanced itself from two planned concerts by the rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), stating it never signed a lease contract and that the shows "cannot take place at our venue". This reversed its own earlier social media announcement of the 10 and 11 October dates, which would have made Ye the biggest western act to perform in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began, and left the concerts' status disputed, as promoter Say Agency maintained they had "not been cancelled" despite being just as surprised by the venue's statement.

Say Agency, based in Moscow, said it had announced the sold-out concerts, with tickets priced up to £1,390, after receiving an "official letter" of approval from the arena, though a formal rental contract was never signed before its expiry. The saga followed several countries, including the UK, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and France, blocking or seeking to block Ye's concerts over safety concerns linked to his past antisemitic remarks, while Russian politicians were themselves divided, with one calling for an investigation into his praise of Hitler and another suggesting he perform traditional Russian songs instead.

## Coverage

- [The Guardian: Russian stadium says it will not host Kanye concerts – but promoter says shows have not been cancelled](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/25/kanye-west-ye-russia-concert-st-petersburg-gazprom-arena)
- [Far Out: Russian stadium refuses to stage Kanye West concerts, promoter denies they have been cancelled](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/russian-stadium-refuses-kanye-west-concerts-promoter-still-go-ahead/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.