Controversial US rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, will perform two shows in Russia after his concerts were canceled in several European countries over the star’s controversial remarks about Israel and Adolf Hitler.
The rapper will perform at St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11, his producer Joseph Karre and local organizer SAY Agency confirmed on Monday. The shows will be part of the Ye Live Concert Tour 2026 in support of his 12th album, Bully.
West will be one of the few big-name Western artists to perform in Russia since February 2022, when many Western countries cut cultural ties with Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian officials and activists have campaigned to dissuade foreign artists from visiting Russia and pressured other countries not to host Russian performers, including ballet dancers and orchestras. Moscow has described the campaign as a futile attempt to “cancel Russian culture.”
In June 2024, West flew to Moscow for the birthday party of Gosha Rubchinsky, a designer who collaborated with him on his Yeezy clothing brand. Rubchinsky cut ties with West the following year.
In recent years, West has been accused of spreading neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic views through social media posts and statements in interviews. Appearing on Infowars in 2022, he said, “I see good things about Hitler” and “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.” He has worn T-shirts and necklaces featuring swastikas and, in 2025, released a song titled Heil Hitler, which contained the line “All my n**gas Nazis, n**ga Heil Hitler” and an audio excerpt from a 1936 Hitler speech.
West has since apologized, attributing his actions to bipolar disorder as well as “poor judgment and reckless behavior.”
Last year, the rapper was barred from entering Australia over the song referencing Hitler. In April, West was banned from entering the UK, where he had been scheduled to perform at the Wireless festival. The event was later canceled. Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized organizers for booking West “despite his previous anti-Semitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
In June, West indefinitely postponed a planned show in Marseille, France, after authorities reportedly sought to block him from entering the country. The mayor of Reggio Emilia, Italy, banned West’s concert scheduled for July 18, citing concerns raised by the Jewish community. His show the following day in Chorzow, Poland, was also canceled by the venue.