Ka-nyet! Kanye West concerts canceled in Russia.

Two sold-out shows in St. Petersburg were scrapped, highlighting wartime ambivalence about Western culture and the rapper’s past antisemitic remarks.

Kanye West’s planned concerts in Saint Petersburg have sparked controversy in Russia, with officials divided over the US rapper’s appearance and Gazprom Arena denying it will host the events.

The biggest Western musician to headline in Russia since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022, some Russian officials have welcomed West’s planned shows, hoping to dispel the notion that Russia is isolated over the war.

The Gazprom Arena stadium in St. Petersburg is in talks with the organizers of Kanye West’s (also known as Ye) concerts, the venue’s press service told the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti and the news outlet Bumaga.

This is a “temporary measure” due to the “geopolitical situation”, says the Petroleum Ministry; with applications pending since March, distributors are pushing the 5-kg free-trade cylinders and the 10-kg composites as alternatives

Say Agency, the organizer of the October performances, said they would still take place despite Gazprom Arena’s withdrawal.