Ye’s Russia Concerts Cancelled After Venue Agreement Dispute

What changed

Ye’s two planned concerts at St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena on 10 and 11 October have been cancelled.

Organiser Say Agency confirmed the decision after weeks of uncertainty over the venue agreement. Gazprom Arena had said it never signed a rental deal with the promoters and would not host the shows.

Why it matters

The cancellation ends what would have been one of the biggest performances by a Western artist in Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It also shows how quickly a concert can become tangled in venue decisions, political criticism and an artist’s own public record.

Russian officials and pro-war bloggers had criticised the plan. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the shows unacceptable, citing Ye’s “glorification” of Hitler. The stadium also said it had received complaints about his performance.

Ye has apologised for past antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments, saying he had “lost touch with reality” because of bipolar disorder. His concerts have also been cancelled in Poland, Italy and France, while his planned Wireless Festival headline appearance in London was scrapped after he was barred from entering the UK.

Say Agency has not yet explained its longer-term plans or the status of ticket refunds. Ye has not publicly commented.