Putin ‘blocks Kanye West live shows’ in Russia as concern of ‘Nazi backlash’ grows
Russian officials are reportedly considering U-turning on a controversial Kanye West concert taking place in the country, amid fears the rapper’s links to Nazism could hurt war efforts
Kanye is due to perform in Russia (Image: Getty Images)
The rapper formerly known as Kanye West has become embroiled in a bizarre row over two planned concerts in Russia.
Ye is due to perform at St Petersburg’s 68,000-seat Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11, just days after Vladimir Putin’s 74th birthday. There has even been some speculation that Putin could meet the controversial star, in a move designed to show that Russia is not entirely culturally isolated over the war in Ukraine. However, the gigs appear to be causing problems for the Kremlin, with reports indicating that the performances may have been canned.
Svetlana Zhurova, deputy chairwoman of the Russian parliament’s international affairs committee, said: “The main issue here is whether our president’s working schedule and the artist’s own schedule can be made to coincide. Hypothetically, such a possibility exists.”
The Kremlin is considering canning the Kanye concert(Image: Mikhail Metzel/Pool Sputnik Krem)
However, Gazprom Arena later declared the shows could not take place because it had not signed a rental agreement with the organisers, despite previously announcing the concerts itself and insisting the news was “no joke”
Two Russian government sources reportedly told St Petersburg outlet Fontanka that the reversal followed a call “from above”. One said the concerts had not been approved by all the necessary authorities, while another claimed the arena had simply been instructed to cancel them.
Promoter Say Agency denied the concerts had been cancelled and said it was the victim of a “fabricated information attack”.
Tickets are still available to buy online for the gig
Gazprom Arena responded: “We have not signed any contracts to lease the stadium for this event. No such contract exists. Consequently, the concert cannot take place at our venue.”
Say Agency boss Anna Subcheva said Ye had signed a contract for two shows and had already received an advance. His total fee was reportedly more than 1.5billion roubles, or around £ 11.8 million.
The proposed concerts also sparked controversy over Ye’s antisemitic remarks, praise for Adolf Hitler and sale of merchandise displaying Nazi imagery.
Putin has often framed the war in Ukraine as a ‘fight against Nazism’ (Image: Mikhail Metzel/Pool Sputnik Krem)
Holding the shows in the city formerly known as Leningrad, where approximately one million people died during the Nazi siege, risked undermining Putin’s claim that his invasion of Ukraine is a fight against “Nazism”.
More than 100,000 tickets have reportedly been sold, while the dates still remain on Ye’s official website with tickets available for purchase despite the reported dispute.
