Entertainment

St Petersburg stadium says scheduled Kanye West concerts will not take place

The Gazprom Arena announced it has no rental agreement with the concert promoter, while the organizer insists the shows are not officially canceled.

Updated Aug 25, 2026 · 09:21 UTC1 reports

The short version

St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena announced that two scheduled October concerts by the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, will not take place at the venue because no rental contract has been signed.
The promoter, Moscow-based Say Agency, expressed surprise at the announcement, stating they learned of the decision through the media and are working to resolve the issue with the venue.
If held, the performances would make Ye the first major Western artist to play in Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg announced on social media that it has not signed a rental agreement with concert promoters, meaning the planned October 10 and 11 concerts by Ye cannot occur at the venue.[BBC News]
The concert organizer, Say Agency, stated that the concerts have not been officially canceled and that the deadline to sign the rental agreement expires later in the week.[BBC News]
Say Agency claimed it originally announced the shows based on an official letter approved by the Gazprom Arena, which subsequently sent a rental contract.[BBC News]
The Gazprom Arena acknowledged receiving complaints regarding Ye's scheduled appearances and clarified that it was not responsible for the booking.[BBC News]
Some Russian politicians, such as conservative lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, have publicly opposed the booking.[BBC News]

It remains unclear if the concerts will be rescheduled at another venue, officially canceled by the promoter, or if the promoter and the arena can resolve their contract dispute.[BBC News]