Kanye West, now known as Ye, is planning to perform in Russia, which would make him one of the biggest Western music stars to perform in the country since they invaded Ukraine.
The 49-year-old “All of the Lights” musician will perform stadium shows this fall at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia, according to organizers on Monday (August 17), via the New York Times.
The shows are scheduled for October 10 and October 11. The venue has a capacity of about 70,000 to 80,000 people for concert events.
While the announcement instantly resulted in a frenzy to buy tickets, the announcement has already provoked some backlash as well, with conservative Russian politician Vitaly Milonov issuing a video statement that suggested he should perform traditional Russian songs instead.
Maybe after this he’ll stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person,” he said, per the NYT.
Only a handful of Western artists have traveled to perform in Russia since the Ukrainian invasion: DaBaby and Tyga previously played in Moscow in 2025, and Jason Derulo recently performed there as well. Some Western DJs have also played festivals there in years since.
A U.K. festival got canceled after Ye was blocked from performing at the festival this summer. Several brands had reportedly pulled sponsorship leading up to the decision, including Pepsi.
Kanye West took out an ad in a January issue of The Wall Street Journal, where he addressed those he has hurt. If you don’t know, he has made antisemitic statements in public in recent years, and as recently as 2025 was selling swastika shirts.
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