Kanye West will not appear in Russia after two major concerts were cancelled at the last moment. The rapper, who has previously praised Adolf Hitler, had been due to perform in St Petersburg next month, but a disagreement over contracts left the shows in limbo before promoters Say Agency announced they had been pulled altogether.
Promoters announce cancellation
'Friends, it is with sincere regret that we inform you that the YE concerts in St. Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates,' the promoters said on Telegram. 'We will issue an official statement regarding the status of the project and our future plans in the near future.'
Even before the Russian cancellation, West was barred from headlining Wireless Festival in London following a series of antisemitic remarks, including praise for Hitler and the use of Nazi imagery in his shows. While Wireless bosses backed platforming Ye for three nights, they ultimately had to call off the whole event after the Home Office refused to grant West a UK visa.
West's UK ambitions remain
Despite this, sources say he has 'not given up on his dream of performing in the UK again.' An insider told The Sun: 'He knows that it takes time to convince and persuade authorities but is willing to work with them so that they have a better understanding of his prior bipolar episode.'
'Ye has a huge fan base in the UK and is determined to come here and perform again. He has a long history of live shows and major festival appearances in the UK and has an affinity for the country and its people.'
West has apologised for his actions, even performatively hugging a rabbi as he blamed the antisemitism on a manic bipolar episode. In a message on X, he said: 'I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends. I take full responsibility for what's mine but I don't want to put my fans in the middle of it.'
'My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows. See you at the top of the globe.'
