Has there been pressure on Russian stadium to cancel planned Kanye West concerts?

Only a week after two shows in St Petersburg were announced, Kanye West’s upcoming gigs seem to have been cancelled – as the venue hosting the concerts say it is not hosting the controversial artist. There are reports that the venue came under pressure from Moscow to cancel the shows... Kanye ‘Ye’ West was set to become biggest western act to play in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. The controversial American rapper, who has mainly made headlines due to his antisemitic outbursts and cancelled European shows, was set to perform on 10 and 11 October at St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena. Russian fans rushed to secure tickets after the shows were announced and the concerts had all but sold out. Now, in a fresh twist, Gazprom Arena said it would not host the rapper, as no rental agreement has been signed. In a statement on social media, the venue said: “Gazprom Arena was not and is not the organizer of this event." “That was handled by the Moscow concert agency Say Agency. Gazprom Arena has not signed any agreement to rent the stadium for the event." The statement added: "No such agreement exists. Accordingly, the concert cannot take place at our venue." Previously, Gazprom Arena had posted about the concerts on social media, calling Ye "the most influential musical artist of our time". Promoter Say Agency disputed the venue’s account, saying Gazprom Arena had approved the announcement. The company insists the concerts will still take place. As of writing, Ye’s concert dates have been removed from the venue’s website, and there is speculation brewing that the decision follows pressure from Moscow. While there is no official indication that authorities intervened, St Petersburg outlet Fontanka reported that the concerts had not received all the necessary approvals and were called off following a “call from above” in Moscow. This follows opposition to West's booking from some Russian politicians wishing to rid the country of any Western influence. These include conservative Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, who released a video statement in which he suggested West should perform traditional Russian songs instead of his planned setlist. “Maybe after that he’ll stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person,” he said. For the time being, confusion reigns on whether the October dates will take place. West’s anti-Semitic remarks began in 2022, when he made a series of offensive comments on social media which ended up getting him booted off both X and Instagram. The musician was dropped by his talent agency and fashion brands like Adidas and Balenciaga also distanced themselves from West. West went on to post a picture of KKK robes, rescind his previous apology to the Jewish community, declare himself “a Nazi” and assert that he has “dominion over his wife”. In February 2025, West started selling swastika t-shirts, and in May, he released a song titled ‘Heil Hitler’, which praised the Nazi leader. This led him to be stripped of a visa to enter Australia and faced with immediate arrest in Brazil. West apologised for his actions and took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. He addressed his past antisemitic comments, reflecting on a "four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour" and saying that he “lost touch with reality.” Still, many questioned the timing of his apology, considering it coincided with the release of his new album ‘Bully’ and the start of his world tour.