Kanye West Russia concerts cancelled by organisers

Two concerts planned by US rapper Kanye West in Russia have been cancelled, according to the show's organiser, Say Agency. The concerts had been scheduled for October in St Petersburg. West, who is also known as Ye, was announced to perform in the Russian city in August. However, the venue that was expected to host the concerts later said it had never signed a contract with the organisers. The concerts remained uncertain after the venue's statement, with organisers not giving clear information about whether the shows would take place. Say Agency announced the cancellation on Telegram on Wednesday and said further information about the project would be shared soon. West has faced concert cancellations and performance bans in several European countries this year following past antisemitic remarks, including praise for Adolf Hitler and the use of Nazi imagery. In January, West apologised for his remarks and attributed them to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder. The planned Russian concerts had attracted criticism from some Russian pro-war military bloggers. They questioned whether it was appropriate to host a US performer while Washington continues to provide military and financial support to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also criticised the planned concerts. She described the shows as unacceptable and referred to what she called West’s “glorification” of Hitler. Had the concerts taken place, West would have been among the biggest international music stars to perform in Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. The organisers have said they will provide an official statement on the project and their future plans.