YE ANNOUNCES ST PETERSBURG CONCERTS IN OCTOBER

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, will perform two shows at St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena on 10 and 11 October, making him the most prominent western musician to perform in Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The concerts were announced on Monday. Tickets sold out within hours of the announcement, with prices ranging from approximately £78 to £1,394 according to one report, or from $105 to $1,850 according to another. Nearly all of the most expensive tickets were secured within hours, while cheaper tickets also sold out by the evening.

West has faced significant professional obstacles in Europe following years of antisemitic remarks and expressions of sympathy towards Nazism. He issued a written apology in January, citing a brain injury and bipolar disorder as contributing factors to his statements and saying "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite." The apology was insufficient to prevent cancellations: concerts in the UK, France, Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic were called off, with the UK Home Office stating that his presence would not be "conducive to the public good." Concerts in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Turkey and Albania proceeded. A Madrid concert earlier this month attracted audiences described as "practically speechless" by reviewers, with one noting that up to 60 per cent of attendees were foreigners unable to watch West in their home countries.

West has maintained contact with Russia through fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, visiting Moscow in 2024 to attend Rubchinskiy's birthday celebrations. A Russian conservative lawmaker, Vitaly Milonov, suggested West should perform traditional Russian songs rather than his planned setlist, reflecting nationalist sentiment in the country.