Overview
- Russian promoters say Kanye West will perform at Saint Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 and more than 100,000 tickets sold out quickly, with prices reported from about 9,000 to 160,000 rubles.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that arranging a meeting between West and President Vladimir Putin is not the Kremlin’s responsibility, saying the issue belongs to the presidential administration.
- Several Russian lawmakers and commentators have publicly debated the shows, with at least one lawmaker calling for cancellation unless West publicly backs Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
- West’s scheduled visit follows a year of bans and cancellations across Europe after his repeated antisemitic remarks, praise of Adolf Hitler, and reported pro‑Nazi merchandise and music, which have made his appearances politically sensitive.
- The concerts could boost local tourism and revenues but also risk reputational and legal fallout inside Russia because the country enforces laws against the rehabilitation of Nazism that critics say could be applied selectively.