St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena has said it will not host two concerts by the rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), which had been due to take place on 10 and 11 October and would have made him the biggest western act to perform in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began. The venue said no contract had ever been signed for the events, distancing itself from the shows, though promoter Say Agency insists the concerts have not actually been cancelled. The confusion follows months of controversy over Ye's history of antisemitic remarks, which has already seen countries including the UK, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and France block him from performing.

Tickets for the sold-out shows had cost as much as £1,390, and the Moscow-based Say Agency said it announced the concerts only after receiving an "official letter" of approval from the arena, though a rental contract had not been finalised. Ye's plan to play Russia had drawn criticism for appearing to flout sanctions and cultural boycotts, while within Russia some politicians called for the shows to be cancelled unless he expressed support for the war, or suggested he perform traditional Russian songs instead. Despite the row, Ye has continued touring widely this year, including in the US, Turkey, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan, in support of his 12th album, Bully.