Kanye West‘s two newly announced stadium shows in St. Petersburg, Russia, sold out within hours on Monday, even as the rapper continued to face global backlash over his past antisemitic remarks.
Organizers confirmed that West, who legally goes by Ye, would perform at Gazprom Arena on October 10 and October 11. The concerts mark the first time a major Western performer has played in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.
The announcement came just months after several of Ye’s planned European tour stops were canceled.
Tickets gone within hours
The venue announced the shows in a post on Telegram on Monday. According to the concert website, tickets priced above $1,850 sold out within hours of going on sale. The cheapest tickets, priced at around $105, were gone by Monday evening in Russia.
Gazprom Arena holds between 70,000 and 80,000 people for concerts, meaning the two nights could draw a combined crowd of approximately 160,000 fans.
The rapid sellout set off a scramble beyond the arena itself.
Yunis Teimurkhanly, owner of the Helvetsia hotel in St. Petersburg, said the announcement triggered a surge in bookings, calls and messages.
“I experienced an explosion of bookings, calls and messages after the concerts were announced,” he wrote on Telegram. “My entire address book went live at once.”
Part of a bigger tour, after a rocky European run
The Russia dates are part of Ye’s ongoing Ye Live Concert Tour that has been marked by instability.
Ye’s headline shows at London’s Wireless Festival, which would have been his first U.K. concerts in 11 years, were cancelled in April after the U.K. Home Office withdrew his travel authorization.
Other stops on his European run faced cancellations or delays in the months leading up to the Russia announcement
In December, it was confirmed that Ye would headline the new Hellwatt Festival at RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy, on July 18, 2026. But the concert was later scrapped earlier this year.
Ye returned to live performance in Los Angeles in April, holding his first full concert in the United States in five years.
Years of controversy behind the backlash
The backlash trailing Ye into Russia stems from a string of antisemitic statements he has made since 2022. He has repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler and released a song titled “Heil Hitler” in 2025.
Those comments cost him major business relationships, including his partnership with Adidas, which ended in 2022 — a split that contributed to the loss of his billionaire status. Some countries have also revoked his visas in response to his rhetoric.
In January, Ye apologized for his comments in a full-page statement published in the WALL STREET JOURNAL. He attributed some of his behavior to bipolar disorder and a brain injury and wrote that he was not a N*** or an antisemite.
The rapper’s apology after his controversies
“One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience,” he wrote.
“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state and am committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though,” he added.
He ended his statement by writing, “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
