Ye’s St. Petersburg concerts canceled, Say Agency confirms

Say Agency has confirmed that Ye’s two scheduled concerts in St. Petersburg will not take place, ending weeks of conflicting statements about whether the rapper would perform in Russia. The shows had been set for October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena. Say Agency said ticket holders would be reimbursed but gave no reason for the cancellation. The Russian event organizer announced the cancellation on September 30, according to reports of its statement. A separate Instagram account affiliated with U.S. touring agency Access Opera also announced the cancellation on Tuesday, September 29, and directed ticket holders to seek refunds from Say Agency. The reports do not reconcile the timing of the notices. Say Agency said further information would be provided in an official statement. The cancellation followed a public dispute over whether the venue had agreed to host the concerts. Gazprom Arena said it had not signed a stadium rental agreement for the event and that, without one, the shows could not take place there. Say Agency subsequently maintained that the concerts would proceed as scheduled, before later confirming they would not go ahead.