Ye concerts in Russia cancelled due to missing rental agreement

Planned concerts for American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in Russia have been officially canceled. The cancellation stems from the absence of a signed rental agreement between the artist's organization and the host venue, an issue that had been publicly flagged by the arena as early as August. Say Agency, the concert promoter, is expected to issue a formal statement regarding the situation and any future plans in due course. These performances were anticipated to be the most significant appearances by a Western artist in Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This development follows a series of concert cancellations across Europe for the 49-year-old artist, which were largely fueled by widespread backlash regarding his history of antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks. While Ye has since expressed regret for his comments and attributed them to his struggles with bipolar disorder, the controversies have impacted his touring schedule. Notably, two previous performances by the rapper in Arnhem did proceed as planned.