Kanye West’s first Shanghai concert in 17 years ended in controversy after he arrived late and walked off the stage multiple times.

Saturday’s concert was scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM but the American rapper didn’t appear until around 8:15 PM — by which point chants of “Refund! Refund!” had already started echoing through parts of the 70,000-capacity Shanghai Stadium.

Ye left the stage several times mid-performance without explanation, returning briefly before exiting again. The concert ultimately ended with the final two songs played over the speakers.

The Shanghai concert was organised by Stellar Amber Group, a local subsidiary that was reportedly established by a Sichuan-based hotel operator less than two months before the event.

The Group issued a public apology the day after the concert, blaming the weather and last-minute equipment adjustments for the failure to deliver “standard visual elements and smoke effects.”

“For this return after 17 years, Ye’s team insisted on prioritising artistic integrity. After urgent adjustments, the show started later to ensure the best experience and avoid disappointing the audience,” the statement read.

“After urgent adjustments, the show started later to ensure the best experience and avoid disappointing the audience”

“We sincerely thank Ye and his team for performing in the rain and doing their utmost to maintain the full show duration.”

The statement made no mention of refunds. When sales opened on 2 July for the Shanghai concert, the cheapest seats available started at 980 yuan (€117) while floor seats were listed at 2,680 yuan (€321).

This is significantly more expensive than tickets to Ye’s concert in Haikou, China, last September, which ranged between 1,680–2,000 yuan (€201–€239).

That concert generated an estimated 51 million yuan ($7.2 million) in ticket sales and boosted local tourism revenue by more than 370 million yuan, according to government data, and signalled a new era for international artists performing in China.

Despite controversy surrounding the show, Ye himself posted on social media on 14 July: “Thank you to my fans in China and the Chinese government. The energy was amazing. Love all of you forever. Can’t wait till the next show.”

It comes shortly after a Slovakian rap festival that was due to be headlined by Ye was cancelled “due to external pressures”.

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A Slovakian rap festival that was due to be headlined by controversial rapper Kanye West has been cancelled.

Organisers of Rubicon announced that the Bratislava-based event – planned for next weekend – had been cancelled “due to external pressure and logistical challenges”.

It comes after more than 6,000 people signed a petition calling for West’s removal from the bill, accusing him of “repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and [an] ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history”.

The petition, which was endorsed by representatives from organisations such as Peace for Ukraine and Cities for Democracy, called West “one of the world’s most famous antisemites” and cites him selling a T-shirt depicting a swastika on his website.

Slovakian rap artists began pulling out, followed by one of the two organisers. Finally, West himself – now officially known as Ye – deleted an Instagram post announcing the concert.

Meanwhile, Slovakian media revealed the venue was still an unharvested wheat field on the outskirts of Bratislava.

“Due to media pressure and the withdrawal of several artists and partners, we were unable to deliver the festival…”

Last night, a post appeared on Rubicon’s Instagram account, stating that the 18–20 July festival will not take place this year.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, including external pressures and logistical challenges, we regret to inform you that Rubicon Festival will not take place this year,” it said.

“This was not an easy decision. Due to media pressure and the withdrawal of several artists and partners, we were unable to deliver the festival at the standard of quality you deserve.”

It continued: “Regarding planned performances and the potential rescheduling of certain events, we will share updates as soon as the situation becomes clearer and alternative options are confirmed.”

Indeed, a local Bratislava district office, where the festival was set to take place, said organisers had informed them that Ye’s concert was being moved to Prague in September. The festival itself is also expected to take place in Prague next year.

West’s antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements saw him dropped from his talent agencies CAA in 2022 and 33 & West in 2025, and prompted UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel to encourage the boycott of West.

Last week, the Australian government announced that West’s visa had been cancelled over his widely condemned song Heil Hitler, which glorifies Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

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Thousands of people have signed a petition opposing Kanye West’s headline slot at Slovakia’s biggest rap festival, Rubicon.

The Bratislava-based event, which bills itself as a cultural event of “vision and provocation,” revealed plans for an exclusive mid-July performance by what it called a “hip-hop visionary, cultural icon, and controversial genius.”

The 18–20 July festival is also due to feature a performance from former Migos rapper Offset, who is arguably the highest-profile act to perform in Russia since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

More than 4,800 people have signed the petition, endorsed by representatives from organisations such as Peace for Ukraine and Cities for Democracy, calling for West’s removal from the bill, accusing him of “repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and [an] ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history”.

The petition calls West “one of the world’s most famous antisemites” and cites him selling a T-shirt depicting a swastika on his website. Such behaviour saw him dropped from his talent agencies CAA in 2022 and 33 & West in 2025, and prompted UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel to encourage the boycott of West.

The petition calls West “one of the world’s most famous antisemites” and cites him selling a T-shirt depicting a swastika on his website

On 8 May, the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the second world war, the 48-year-old musician released a song called Heil Hitler. It ends with a sample of a speech given by Adolf Hitler in 1935 in the original German, which ends with the Nazi leader calling for supporters to “stand up for me like I have stood up for you”.

The song was banned in Germany on the grounds of laws against extremist symbolism and hate speech and removed from most mainstream streaming platforms, but proliferated and found support on Elon Musk’s X.

The petition says it is “unacceptable that Bratislava should be the only city in Europe” to host a performance by West, “not because of his musical expression, but because of his dangerous public attitudes that are in direct conflict with European memory and historical responsibility”.

It stressed that the performance could attract “radical and extremist groups from Slovakia and abroad” and cited “legitimate concern about the appearance of Nazi symbolism, violent behaviour or the spread of ideology that is unacceptable in a democratic society and criminal in our country”.

Addressing the petition in a statement, Rubicon organisers referenced the rapper’s antisemitic behaviour, saying: “Ye subsequently deleted his comments, publicly apologised and admitted that he needed time for self-reflection and professional help.”

“We believe that festivalgoers deserve to see one of the most influential artists of our time live – not for his past, but for his music”

It continued: “We believe that festival-goers deserve to see one of the most influential artists of our time live – not for his past, but for his music, his vision and his power to inspire.”

Organisers also added that Rubicon is “not a political event… we are apolitical and refuse to be used for any ideological struggle.”

Elsewhere, West is pushing ahead with his previously cancelled concert in South Korea, to be held on 26 July at Incheon Munhak Stadium.

Concert organiser Channel Candy posted on social media: “Thank you for waiting. We will repay you with an unforgettable moment.”

Kanye had originally planned to hold a concert titled ‘BULLY’ (referring to his upcoming album) in collaboration with Coupang Play on 31 May but it was cancelled just 10 days before the scheduled date, with no specific reason provided.

Earlier this month, West briefly appeared at the ongoing sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs in support of the music mogul.

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Kanye West is no longer represented by the Los Angeles-based talent agency 33 & West, a representative for the company has confirmed.

The dismissal comes after the rapper posted a stream of antisemitic abuse on social media, put T-shirts with a swastika on sale in his online shop, and was alleged to have described himself as Hitler to a Jewish employee.

On Monday (10 February), Daniel McCartney of 33 & West wrote in a statement that his working relationship with West was over, “effective immediately … due to his harmful and hateful remarks that myself nor 33 & West can stand for”.

Last week West, also known as Ye, wrote a barrage of antisemitic posts on X including, “I’m a Nazi … I love Hitler”. The swastika T-shirt was placed for sale on the website of his fashion brand Yeezy, with the product line “HH-01”, assumed to be code for “Heil Hitler”.

Shopify, the company that provided the online platform for Yeezy, has now taken the store offline, stating: “All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms.”

Daniel McCartney of 33 & West wrote in a statement that his working relationship with West was over

On Tuesday, a former staff member for West’s company – anonymised as Jane Doe – filed a lawsuit against him in Los Angeles superior court, alleging wrongful termination, and gender and religious discrimination.

The woman, who is Jewish, alleges a series of incidents between January and June 2024, including that he fired her after sending her a text message reading “Hail [sic] Hitler”.

Another alleged text message read: “Welcome to the first day of working for Hitler.” The woman’s lawyer, Carney Shegerian, described “a relentless and deliberate campaign of antisemitism and misogyny” from West. West has not commented on the lawsuit, nor the actions of Shopify and 33 & West.

These are not the first instances of antisemitic behaviour from the rapper. In 2022, West posted antisemitic slurs on social media and wore a shirt with a slogan associated with white supremacists.

The music and fashion industries subsequently cut ties with him, with UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel encouraging the boycott of West.

CAA, which had represented West for touring since 2016, dropped the rapper from its roster that week.

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Spilt Works managing director Archie Hamilton has spoken to IQ about the future of international acts performing in China.

Founded in 2006, Split Works has enjoyed a long-standing reputation as a pioneer in importing international performers to China, organising tours for Sonic Youth, Death Cab for Cutie, Grimes and Ghostface Killah.

Nowadays, Hamilton’s focus is on artist development in order to “build bridges between Asia and the West” via his booking agency Scorched – no easy task given China’s strict policies for international artists.

Chinese authorities will often require foreign artists to submit set lists and song lyrics before getting approval to tour – and even then acts are often unsuccessful.

However, this looked set to change last month when infamous rapper Kanye West was granted rare approval for two “listening parties” at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou.

The sold-out stadium gigs, which drew 70,000 people, marked Ye’s first performances in the East Asian country in 16 years – in which time the government’s tolerance for Western artists less divisive than him rapidly diminished.

“China likes stable, bankable stuff that’s not going to upset the apple cart and Kanye is about as firebrand as you could be”

In 2017, Justin Bieber was barred from China because of his reputation as a “badly behaved entertainer” while, in 2016, Lady Gaga’s entire repertoire was reportedly forbidden after she met the Dalai Lama.

More recently, Chinese authorities clamped down on hip-hop, blacklisting songs and dropping rappers from shows. Its media regulator banned Chinese television from featuring “actors with tattoos or depictions of hip-hop culture, subculture and immoral culture”.

“China likes stable, bankable stuff that’s not going to upset the apple cart and Kanye is about as firebrand as you could be,” Hamilton tells IQ.

“There was some excitement about the concert happening because it’s the first time in a while there’s been a big international stadium show – one of the last [successful] ones I can remember is Linkin Park in 2016. Plus there wasn’t a lot of preamble [ahead of the concert]. It just sort of happened. And no one knows who promoted the show. It was just really obscure.”

The show reportedly took in 51 million yuan ($7.3 million) in ticket sales and generated close to 373 million yuan (€47.2m) in total tourism revenue for the city. But its success doesn’t necessarily mean all Chinese cities will follow in the footsteps of Haikou.

As Hamilton points out, Haikou, the capital of the island province of Hainan, is somewhat of an outlier in China.

The island is one of seven Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the country, which benefits from a separate administration, liberal economic laws and enhanced infrastructure support among other things.

“Kanye’s show was a bit of a shot in the arm after a pretty bleak year for the Chinese live market”

“The local government seems to be willing to support [concerts] from a financial standpoint and also from a permitting standpoint,” he explains. “Permits are obviously difficult to obtain in China and always have been. Given Hainan’s status as a SEZ, I think it wants to try and flex a bit of muscle and show that it can be different to the rest of the mainland.”

With its tropical climate, beach resorts and five-star hotels, Hainan also benefits from a reputation as the ‘Hawaii of China’ and a healthy influx of tourists.

“Given the challenges of travel for a lot of Chinese people who don’t necessarily have passports and money, it’s a huge destination,” Hamilton adds.

The downside of Hainan is the absence of a local audience, continues Hamilton, which perhaps explains why 95% of attendees at Ye’s show travelled from outside the island.

“It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any kind of follow-through,” he muses. “Often in China, when there’s a big moment, everyone jumps in and gets excited. But after that, people will get hopelessly over-invested and then kind of implode or explode, or just wither on the vine.”

Though Hamilton is doubtful that Ye’s concert in Hainan will kickstart a trend with international artists flocking to China, there’s no denying it’s piqued interest.

“I’ve already had three or four requests from Hainan since the concert – there is definitely more attention,” he reveals. “Kanye’s show was a bit of a shot in the arm after a pretty bleak year for the Chinese live market.

“As with any market, if artists are willing and available to put the time in, they’ll reap what they sow”

“There was a push for international artists in early ’24 but it was all really disappointing because the internet just isn’t set up for those artists,” he explains.

Indeed, the Communist Party is known to control the flow of art and content from foreign producers, and strictly censor domestic publications, performances and social media postings.

“There’s been a requirement for TV and platforms and stuff to focus on promoting and investing in domestic talent predominantly so the international stuff just gets marginalised,” Hamilton adds.

“An artist that can sell 500 tickets in China can probably sell 1,500 tickets in the West or anywhere else,” the Split Works co-founder adds. “Artists that can sell 5,000 tickets in China could probably sell 20,000 tickets anywhere else.”

However, international artists who have consistently invested in the market have reaped the rewards.

“We’ve got three arena shows with Cigarettes After Sex in March of next year that are just about to go on sale,” he continues. “That’s a band that we built from 500 capacity to arena level right in seven years – though it would have been shorter without Covid. They worked hard on coming early and coming regularly.

“We also brought Honne through twice in the last two years. They played nine cities, three festivals, six hard ticket shows and the money is pretty good, I would argue. But again, Honne started working in the market in 2017. So it’s been an eight-year cycle of investment in platforms and channels, and speaking to fans and doing collaborations and coming to the market regularly.”

Other Western stars that have recently visited the market – or are planning to visit soon – include Mariah Carey, John Legend and Charlie Puth.

Hamilton concludes: “As with any market, if artists are willing and available to put the time in, they’ll reap what they sow.”

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Kanye West’s first performance in China in 16 years has been credited with providing a tourism boost for the country’s economy.

West attracted around 40,000 fans to his show – billed as a “world tour listening party” – at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou last Sunday (15 September).

The event was held on the opening night of the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, contributing to an average hotel occupancy rate of more than 83% – double last year’s figure – according to data from the municipal bureau of tourism, with 95% of attendees travelling from outside the island.

The majority of fans were from Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Beijing, with others coming from further afield such as Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and abroad.

The Los Angeles Times reports the show grossed more than US$7 million (€6.3m) in ticket sales, while Xinhua notes the concert is estimated to generate close to 373 million yuan (€47.2m) in total tourism revenue for the city.

“The show had a significant influence, with the vast majority of attendees coming from outside the island, bringing a large influx of tourists to Haikou”

“The show had a significant influence, with the vast majority of attendees coming from outside the island, bringing a large influx of tourists to Haikou,” says Lyu Xiaolei, deputy mayor of Haikou.

“These visitors are engaged in duty-free shopping and various cultural and tourism activities, which will greatly boost Haikou’s holiday consumption.”

A follow-up West listening party in Haikou is slated for 28 September. The rapper also performed at Goyang Stadium in South Korea last month. CAA cut ties with the 47-year-old in 2022 following his antisemitic comments and other controversies.

Xiaolei adds that Haikou, which is the capital of the island province of Hainan, is bidding to entice more global and domestic artists as it looks to build a reputation as an international city of performing arts.

Mariah Carey also performed in China during the festival, playing two nights at Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium on 15-16 September. And Wang Jiansheng, head of the Hainan Tourism Development Research Association, says that concerts by Western artists are on the increase in the country.

“Attending concerts has become a new form of social interaction,” adds Jiansheng. “Fans, mostly young people, are also the main consumers in the tourism market.”

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American rap duo ¥$, consisting of Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign, have quietly cancelled their next series of US arena listening sessions for their collaborative project, VULTURES.

The six shows, announced last week, were set to take place between 7-15 April. The East Coast run of listening parties included Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (20,000-capacity), Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena (19,758-cap), Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena (20,356-cap), Charlotte’s Spectrum Center (17,500-cap) Tampa’s Amalie Arena (21,500-cap), and Fort Lauderdale’s Amerant Bank Arena (20,000-cap).

“We regret to report that due to the time constraints for Ye and Ty Dolla $ign to curate production and meet logistic requirements, the upcoming dates for the VULTURES 1&2 listening experience will need to be revisited at a later date,” said both Amalie Arena and Amerant Bank Arena in public statements.

The duo have not publicly acknowledged the cancellations, with Ye deactivating his Instagram account over the weekend.

“It’s still better than other people’s shows that have a mic”

The listening party cancellations come after the duo delayed the second instalment of their three-part VULTURES series. Announced earlier this year, the three-part collaborative series was set to be released in February, March, and April, respectively. VULTURES 1 was released on 9 February to commercial acclaim, but no updates or timelines have been provided for the second and third instalments.

Alongside the release of VULTURES 1, multiple “hi-fidelity audio experience” gigs were announced and held in quick succession in February. These included three back-to-back gigs in the US, at Chicago’s United Center (23,500-cap), New York’s UBS Center (19,000-cap), and at an unnamed tent on the Las Vegas Strip, and three shows in Europe.

The European late-February listening experiences took place at Italy’s Mediolanum Forum (15,800-cap) and Unipol Arena (20,000), plus Paris’s Accor Arena (20,300). In October 2023, the duo had reportedly planned a joint concert at RCF Arena (100,000-cap) in Reggio Emilia, Italy, which was ultimately scrapped.

Two additional gigs were held in early March after the initial VULTURES 2 release date at Arizona’s Footprint Center (18,422-cap) and San Francisco’s Chase Center (18,064-cap). The pair went on to headline California’s Rolling Loud festival, where they played pre-recorded music without performing.

“It’s still better than other people’s shows that have a mic,” said Ty Dolla $ign following the Rolling Loud performance.

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Kanye West’s comeback concert in Italy has been cancelled before it was officially announced.

The US rapper was reportedly set to perform a secret show at the 100,000-cap RCF Arena, aka Campovolo, in Reggio Emilia, near Bologna, tomorrow (27 October), promoted by Milan-based Vivo Concerti.

It was rumoured the gig, which was originally planned for 20 October, would serve as the global premiere of West’s upcoming joint album with Ty Dolla $ign. Local prefect Maria Rita Cocciufa says the event was cancelled for “safety reasons”.

“We had no option but to cancel the event,” says Cocciufa. “These things take a lot of organising: you need to have a health plan, a traffic plan and some idea of how tickets are being sold and the number of people.

“You have to have all these things in place because you have to guarantee the safety and security of the people attending. As a city, we were ready, but we just hadn’t heard anything from the organisers so for safety reasons it had to be cancelled – the concert was due to take place Friday and on Monday we had still heard nothing.”

The Daily Mail reports that a set had been built on the site earlier this month, but was now being dismantled and a convoy of trucks was seen leaving the area.

“We did what we had to do, our part was ready for the 20th – from the parking lots, to the internal staff, to the area itself”

Davide Caiti, partner of arena owner C.Volo, suggests the 46-year-old’s American production team were to blame for the show not going ahead.

“We did what we had to do, our part was ready for the 20th – from the parking lots, to the internal staff, to the area itself,” Caiti tells Il Resto del Carlino.” We were also waiting for the official announcement to continue operations. [West’s team] can say that nothing was ever officially announced, but it’s a bit of hiding behind a finger, because the request had arrived.”

The planned concert had attracted anger from local groups given West’s past antisemitic comments and other controversies, which prompted Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to cut ties with the rapper last year. However, Caiti denies the threat of protests was a factor in the cancellation.

“Faced with an event of that magnitude and a business like that, production would certainly not have stopped due to four local controversies,” he says. “If they [cite] that, it will just be an excuse… Maybe next time, we’ll get some more guarantees.”

West made his first live appearance since the furore in Italy over the summer when he joined Travis Scott on stage at Rome’s 60,000-cap Circus Maximus to perform Scott’s Praise God and Can’t Tell Me Nothing in August.

The arena, which hosted Harry Styles in July, currently has four concerts scheduled for next year, including an already announced Rammstein show.

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Dozens of fans required medical attention following a suspected pepper spray incident during a Travis Scott concert in Italy.

Police are investigating after around 60 people received treatment for eye and throat irritation at the rapper’s show at Rome’s 60,000-cap Circus Maximus on Monday (7 August).

Ansa sources indicate that the use of pepper spray by an audience member may have been to blame, while Euronews reports a 14-year-old was also hospitalised after falling from a height, having attempted to elude security to enter the venue.

The show, which saw the live premiere of Scott’s new album Utopia, came less than two weeks after the last minute cancellation of his scheduled concert in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The American star was joined by surprise guest Kanye West – making his first appearance since posting antisemitic slurs online last year – at the Rome gig to perform the latter’s songs Praise God and Can’t Tell Me Nothing.

“The Circus Maximus is a monument. It is not a stadium, not a concert hall. These mega rock concerts put it at risk”

Meanwhile, CNN reports that the director of Rome’s Colosseum has called for an end to concerts at Circus Maximus after the tens of thousands of fans jumping in unison at Scott’s gig sparked fears of an earthquake.

The 32-year-old became the latest act to play the ancient site, which is close to the Colosseum, following shows by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Imagine Dragons earlier this summer. The venue has hosted the likes of the Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Maneskin and David Gilmour in previous years.

“The Circus Maximus is a monument. It is not a stadium, not a concert hall,” Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, tells Italian news service AGI. “These mega rock concerts put it at risk… Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”

Houston police published its full report on the 2021 Astroworld tragedy, in which 10 concertgoers died during Scott’s headline set, last month.

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Creative Artists Agency (CAA) no longer represents longtime client Kanye West, a representative of the company this week told The New York Times.

The agency has represented West for touring since 2016, during which time he has not been on tour.

The move comes after the US rapper this month posted antisemitic slurs on social media and wore a shirt with a slogan associated with white supremacists.

His remarks prompted an antisemitic and white supremacist group to unfurl a large banner above a Los Angeles overpass, which read “Kanye is right about the Jews,” over the weekend.

The music industry has subsequently begun to distance itself from the rapper, with executives including UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel encouraging the boycott of West.

West and his G.O.O.D. Music imprint are no longer a part of Def Jam Recordings

Per The Times article, West (now known as Ye) and his G.O.O.D. Music imprint are no longer a part of Def Jam Recordings. Ye’s artist contract with the label expired following the release of 2021’s Donda, although it’s unclear if he was expected to continue the partnership with his longtime label home prior to his recent anti-Semitic outbursts.

The 45-year-old rapper had already burned bridges in the industry when he pulled out of headlining this year’s Coachella just over a week before it was due to start.

He was also disinvited from performing at the Grammy Awards last spring after erratic behaviour and, in July this year, LA-based production company Phantom Labs sued West, for allegedly owing $7.1 million for unpaid work.

The fashion world is also beginning to cut ties with West, with Balenciaga confirming last week that it “no longer has any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist”.

Also, today (25 October), Adidas released a statement announcing it has officially ended its partnership with the rapper.

“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” it reads. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

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