Kanye West to Play Russia in October
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- Kanye West announced two concerts at St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena in October, becoming the biggest Western star to perform in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
- Tickets for the shows sold out within hours, priced between 9,000 roubles (£78) and 160,000 roubles (£1,394), according to the concert announcement.
- Kanye West apologized in January for prior antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks, attributing them to bipolar disorder and a brain injury, as part of a broader image rehabilitation effort.
- Western acts have largely avoided Russia since the Ukraine war, with only B-list artists like Tyga, DaBaby, and Lil Pump performing there, making West’s tour a significant exception.
- Vitaly Milonov, a conservative Russian lawmaker, criticized the planned concerts and urged West to perform traditional Russian songs instead of his usual setlist.
- Recent European tour dates in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Albania proceeded, while UK, France, Poland, Italy, and Czech Republic shows were canceled due to public backlash.
Why it matters: Kanye West’s Russia tour breaks a de facto cultural boycott by major Western artists since the Ukraine invasion, giving the regime a high-profile propaganda win while raising ethical questions for audiences and artists. The move isolates him further from Western institutions that have cut ties over his past remarks.
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