Rapper Kanye West set to perform two Russia shows despite cultural boycott

Kanye West is set to perform two shows in Russia this fall despite the country's ongoing cultural boycott over its invasion of Ukraine, NME reported on August 18, 2026. The rapper announced the St. Petersburg dates a day earlier, and tickets for the 70,000-capacity Gazprom Arena sold out within hours, ranging from 9,000 to 160,000 roubles.

Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov suggested West perform traditional Russian songs instead of his usual setlist, saying in a video statement that doing so might help him "stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person." The October 10 and 11 shows are part of West's broader 2026 hip-hop comeback tour, which began at SoFi Stadium in California in April and has since included stops in the Netherlands and Turkey, where West claimed his Istanbul show drew 118,000 people and broke the record for the largest stadium performance.

Several other dates on the tour have been scrapped this year over West's history of antisemitic remarks, even as shows in Albania, Spain, Portugal and Chicago remain on the schedule. The UK government blocked him from entering the country in April, forcing Wireless Festival to cancel the three nights he was booked to headline, and planned shows in Poland and Switzerland were also cancelled amid backlash. A French date was postponed and an Italian show was pulled over safety concerns, while officials in Florida and Texas separately tried and failed to get shows in Tampa and San Antonio cancelled.

West's antisemitic comments date back to 2022, when a wave of social media posts led to his Instagram and Twitter accounts being suspended and to him being dropped by his lawyer, talent agency, record label and fashion partners including Balenciaga and Adidas. He initially refused to apologize, at one point suggesting Jewish people should "forgive Hitler," before apologizing to the Jewish community in 2023 and later blaming alcohol for his behavior. Numerous lawsuits followed, including former employees who alleged he used antisemitic language and praised Hitler in the workplace, one of which he reportedly settled.

West revoked that earlier apology in early 2025 while declaring himself "a Nazi," briefly reversed course on social media, then let more Nazi-imagery posts follow within days. He published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal this January, tying his behavior to mental health struggles and pledging accountability and treatment. He released his latest album, Bully, in March, debuting it via a YouTube livestream, and the Russia dates now join the rest of his 2026 run on the tour guide.