Concerts by American rapper Kanye West scheduled for October 10 and 11 at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg, Russia, have been cancelled, according to event promoters. The Moscow-based Say Agency announced the decision via the Telegram messaging platform, expressing regret over the cancellation and indicating that further information about the status of the project and future plans would be shared soon.

The agency thanked supporters who had awaited the performances and said ticket refunds would be available starting Monday, October 12, with details regarding refund procedures to be provided.

The cancellation follows public criticism from Russian officials, including Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who called the planned concerts "unacceptable." Zakharova referenced Kanye West’s previous controversial actions, including launching apparel featuring swastikas and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler” last year, as reasons for the strong rebuke.

Plans for the shows had faced uncertainty for several weeks amid growing public and official scrutiny. The promoters declined to elaborate on the specific reasons for the cancellation but assured that communication with fans would continue.