Kanye West's Russia shows officially cancelled after weeks of uncertainty

ByRiyah Collins BBC Newsbeat.

Key points

• Listen to Newsbeat live at 12: 45 and 17: 45 weekdays – or listen back here.
• West had been due to perform at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on 10 and 11 October.
• Russia was invaded by the Nazis in World War Two, and the country's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman was among those who criticised the planned demonstrates.
• In 2025 West began selling swastika T-shirts and issued a song called Heil Hitler.
• Last summer West was set to headline London's Wireless Festival but was barred from entering the UK, forcing organisers to cancel the whole event.

Two stadium gigs in Russia by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, have officially been cancelled.

As the venue had stated it wouldn't host him for what would have been the biggest show by a western artist since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, but there was confusion in the lead-up to the demonstrates.

In a post on messaging app Telegram, gig organisers Say Agency confirmed the concerts had been cancelled with "sincere regret".

"The Ye concerts in St Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates, " the Moscow-based agency wrote.

"We will issue an official statement regarding the status of the project and our plans in the near future."

Gazprom Arena remarked in August that it had not signed a rental agreement with the concert promoters and so the gig could not take place on its site.

Say Agency had remarked it was working to resolve the problem with the stadium before confirming they could not go ahead. The stadium additionally acknowledged it had received complaints concerning West's performance.

He has lately apologised for multiple antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments previously, saying he had "lost touch with reality" as of his bipolar disorder. Kanye West controversies – how did we obtain here? Kanye West concert in Poland cancelled over antisemitic comments. Italy bans Kanye West and Travis Scott concerts over security reservations.

Maria Zakharova remarked they were unacceptable and pointed out West's "glorification" of Hitler.

Pro-war bloggers in Russia additionally questioned whether the country should be hosting an American artist while the US provided financial and military backing for Ukraine. West is yet to comment publicly on the cancellation.

His first major concert in the US for more than five years was held in Los Angeles in April, and he has since played in countries including Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, his Russian indicates aren't the only gigs to have been cancelled.

Last summer West was set to headline London's Wireless Festival but was barred from entering the UK, forcing organisers to cancel the whole event. West demonstrates were additionally cancelled in Poland, Italy and France.

For now, kanye West' s Russia shows officially cancelled after weeks of uncertainty remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.