Kanye West’s planned concerts in Russia cancelled

Two concerts by American rapper Kanye West in Russia, which were planned for October, have been cancelled. The show’s organiser, Say Agency, announced the news.

West, also known as Ye, was due to perform in St. Petersburg. However, a week after the concerts were announced in mid-August, the venue that was to host them said it had never signed a contract with the organisers, a separate Moscow-based company.

The shows had remained in limbo since then, with the organisers giving no clear confirmation of whether they would take place or not.

“Friends, with sincere regret we inform you that YE’s concerts in St. Petersburg will not be able to take place on the planned dates. We will issue an official statement regarding the status of the project and our future plans in the near future,” Say Agency wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.

West has faced concert cancellations and performance bans in several European countries this year following a series of antisemitic remarks made in the past, including praise for Adolf Hitler and the use of Nazi imagery.

In January, West apologised for the comments, which he attributed to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder.