St Petersburg dates called off

Moscow-based event promoter Say Agency announced on 30 September that two scheduled concerts by American rapper Kanye West in St Petersburg will not proceed. The shows had been booked for 10 and 11 October at the Gazprom Arena. The agency confirmed via Telegram that ticket refunds will begin on 12 October, with specific reimbursement terms to follow.

Friends, it is with sincere regret that we inform you that the Ye concerts in Saint Petersburg on the scheduled dates will not be able to take place.

Tens of thousands of tickets had been purchased following the initial booking announcement in August. Prices for standard entry started at $105, while premium packages reached $1,580. Russian television presenter Lera Kudryavtseva reported paying 100,000 rubles (roughly 1,000 euros) for two passes before the cancellation.

Venue contract dispute and state pushback

Uncertainty surrounded the performances since August, when management at the Gazprom Arena stated that no rental agreement had been signed with Say Agency. The venue also noted that it had received public complaints concerning the rapper. Russian news outlet Fontanka reported that organizers lacked required administrative permits, with the final cancellation following an intervention from Moscow authorities.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova opposed the concerts during a broadcast with presenter Vladimir Solovyov, citing West's 2025 release of a song titled Heil Hitler and his sale of swastika apparel. Zakharova cited the Second World War siege of Leningrad in her objection.

How can someone who glorifies Hitler walk the same streets where people walked for kilometres in search of water or crumbs of bread, or carried those who had died of hunger on sledges?

Political reactions and Kremlin stance

The proposed tour produced conflicting reactions across Russian political circles. Svetlana Zhurova, deputy chairperson of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, stated that a meeting between West and President Vladimir Putin remained hypothetically possible depending on schedules. Say Agency owner Anna Subcheva previously stated that West hoped to meet the Russian president.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the prospect of presidential involvement during a press briefing.

You have to understand, this is not our business. This is not the Moscow Concert Hall, this is the presidential administration.

Pro-war commentators in Russia also opposed the appearance, arguing that the country should not host an American artist while the United States provides military and financial aid to Ukraine.

Pattern of international cancellations

The Russian cancellations follow multiple disrupted tour dates across Europe throughout 2026. In January, West published a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal titled To Those I've Hurt, attributing his antisemitic remarks to a bipolar manic episode. In April, British authorities denied West an entry visa, forcing the cancellation of his headline appearance at London's Wireless Festival and prompting a postponement in Marseille.

Further European bookings collapsed during the summer. A planned June show at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów was stopped for legal reasons following criticism from Polish Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska. In July, prefect Salvatore Angieri halted a scheduled performance at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy, citing public order concerns. West did, however, complete tour dates in Los Angeles, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands earlier in the year.