Kanye West to become one of biggest Western stars to play Russia since invasion

Kanye West, the rapper now legally known as Ye, will perform two stadium shows in St. Petersburg, Russia, in October — making him one of the most prominent Western performers to play Russia since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to concert organizers.

The Russian promoter Say Agency confirmed the Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 dates at Gazprom Arena, an 80,000-capacity venue in St. Petersburg. Tickets ranged from 9,000 rubles, or about $106, to 160,000 rubles, or roughly $1,880, for VIP boxes. The cheapest and most expensive tiers both sold out within hours of Monday’s announcement.

Mr. West would join a growing list of Western acts that have performed in Russia despite sanctions and the war. U.S. rapper DaBaby played Moscow in February 2025, followed by Tyga in May and August, Lil Pump in June, and Akon and Jason Derulo over the summer, according to reporting from the Moscow Times. Big-name Western acts were largely absent from the country between the February 2022 invasion and the end of 2024.

Mr. West’s Russia dates come after a string of European cancellations tied to his history of antisemitic remarks. British authorities barred him from entering the country in April, scuttling his headline slot at London’s Wireless Festival. The U.K. Home Office said at the time that his presence “would not be conducive to the public good.” Shows in France, Italy and Poland were also called off, though he went on to perform in the Netherlands, Turkey and Albania.

Mr. West has spent the past several months attempting to rebuild his public image. In January, he took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal apologizing to the Jewish and Black communities for years of antisemitic statements, including past praise for Adolf Hitler. He attributed his behavior to an undiagnosed brain injury and a bipolar disorder diagnosis, writing that he had “lost touch with reality.”

His planned Russia dates have already drawn mixed reactions inside the country. Vitaly Milonov, a conservative Russian lawmaker, suggested Mr. West perform traditional Russian songs to fit in, saying, “Maybe after this he’ll stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person.” Meanwhile, a St. Petersburg hotel owner reported a surge in bookings tied to the announcement.

Mr. West previously visited Russia in 2024 to attend the birthday celebration of fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, a longtime collaborator, though rumors of a full concert at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium never materialized.