Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to sources, the problem is that the arena had not signed any rental agreements, even though they have actively been promoting the show.
To say that the American rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, is a controversial figure would be the understatement of the century.
In 2018, he said in an interview with TMZ Live: “When you hear about slavery for 400 years… for 400 years? That sounds like a choice.”
Years later, in 2025, he posted statements like “I’m a Nazi” and “Some of my best friends are Jewish and I don’t trust any of them.”
And that is just some of the many controversies West has thrown himself into.
But now it seems that he may have gone so far that not even the Kremlin wants anything to do with the rapper.
Concert canceled “from above”
West was scheduled to perform at St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11. However, venue officials suddenly announced that they had not signed “any rental agreements” with event promoter Say Agency, The Moscow Times reported.
They insist the venue is completely unable to host the shows.
That abrupt about-face left fans thoroughly bewildered. Back on August 17, Gazprom Arena had actively promoted the upcoming concert and even launched a public ticket raffle. The official website announcement for the event has since been wiped from the site.
Russian news outlet Fontanka reported that the cancellation came following a direct call “from above” in Moscow. Local authorities, including the Culture Committee, had never officially approved the performance. Even so, organizers went ahead and opened ticket sales.
High-stakes drama
Financial reports reveal that West stood to make massive money from the two scheduled dates. Fontanka claimed the artist was set to receive a payout of 1.5 billion rubles.
Behind the curtain, powerful political figures pushed to shut down the event. According to a source from VChK-OGPU, billionaire brothers Mikhail and Yuri Kovalchuk led the push for a ban. The source added that influential film director Nikita Mikhalkov also fiercely opposed the appearance.
Despite mounting pressure, the event organizers refuse to surrender. Moscow-based Say Agency says the stadium’s sudden policy change caught their entire leadership team off guard.
Tickets in limbo
Say Agency chief executive Anna Subcheva told RBC that her agency had already executed a contract with the performer. She emphasized that ticket sales began in full coordination with Gazprom Arena, which had promised to complete formal venue paperwork by August 27.
Subcheva told Rotonda that “the concert will not be cancelled.” She announced plans to launch an immediate investigation into the sudden venue fallout.
For now, music fans remain completely stranded. Tickets were selling for at least 30,000 rubles (355 USD) as of August 24, and no refund process has been established.
