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Kanye West received about $20 million for two canceled St. Petersburg concerts, according to Kommersant, which cited sources familiar with the arrangement. One source said the sum included costs for his staff, while another said his contract may not require him to return it. The organizer has promised ticket refunds, and police are reviewing the agency over a fraud complaint.
Rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, received about $20 million for two canceled concerts in St. Petersburg, Russia, and may not have to return the money under his contract, the business daily Kommersant reported, citing sources familiar with the arrangement. The shows had been scheduled for October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena; the report leaves open how the cancellation affects the organizers’ finances and ticket refunds.
A source cited by Kommersant said the reported $20 million was not West’s net fee, because the amount also covered expenses such as payments to his staff. A second source told the newspaper that West would not return the money because, in that source’s account, the contract does not require repayment. The report does not include the contract itself or identify the sources by name.
Say Agency, the company that organized the concerts, announced about a week before the report that the shows were canceled. Agency head Anna Subcheva told Kommersant that the company had not broken any laws. She also said the agency, West and she personally faced criticism after the concerts were announced, which she attributed to competitors and media coverage.
The organizers had said more than 100,000 tickets were sold in the first two days of sales, at prices from 9,000 to 160,000 rubles, and promised to refund buyers after the cancellation. Those sales figures and the refund promise are statements attributed to the organizers; the source report does not establish how many refunds have been completed. The concerts were removed from West’s tour schedule.
The Money Behind the Cancellation
The reported payment puts the financial consequences of the canceled shows at the center of the story. If the contract does not require West to return the funds, the organizers could face a gap between the money already paid out and the costs of refunding ticket holders. But the available reporting does not establish the contract’s terms, how much of the reported sum has been spent, or who ultimately bears any shortfall.
The issue also matters for ticket buyers. Say Agency has promised refunds, but the source material provides no timetable, process, or confirmed total for repayments. Separately, the reported police review could lead authorities to examine the agency’s handling of the event, though a review is not itself a finding of fraud or proof that a crime occurred.
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How the St. Petersburg Shows Were Canceled
West’s concerts were announced for October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena. After the announcement, Russian lawmakers and pro-war activists publicly criticized the planned visit. Whether to hold or cancel the shows was also discussed in the Kremlin, according to the source report.
Say Agency later announced the cancellation, and West’s tour schedule no longer listed the Russian dates. On the same day, Kommersant reported that St. Petersburg police had begun a review of the agency after a local Legislative Assembly member filed a complaint following concerns from ticket buyers. The collected materials were to be sent to the Interior Ministry’s central office in Moscow, which would decide whether there were grounds to open a criminal case. The source does not report that a criminal case has been opened.
““That’s not his net fee: that money also covers things like paying for his staff.””
— A source cited by Kommersant, whose identity was not disclosed
Contract Terms and Refund Status
The $20 million figure and the claim that West may keep the money come from sources cited by Kommersant; the report does not provide the contract or a direct statement from West. It is unclear how much of the reported payment was allocated to staff and other expenses, whether any amount has been returned, or whether the organizers could seek repayment on another basis.
It is also not clear how many ticket holders have received refunds or when the process will be completed. Police were reported to be reviewing materials related to a complaint, but the source does not say whether the Interior Ministry has decided to open a criminal case. The possibility of rescheduling remains unconfirmed: Subcheva’s answer was only, “We’ll see.”
Refunds and the Police Review
The next reported steps are the handling of ticket refunds and the Interior Ministry’s decision on whether the police materials provide grounds for a criminal case. Say Agency has said it will refund ticket buyers, but no schedule or completion figures were included in the source report.
Any further clarity on West’s payment would depend on the contract or statements from the artist, his representatives, or the organizers. No new concert dates have been confirmed, and the available reporting does not establish whether the shows could be rescheduled.
Key Questions
How much did Kanye West reportedly receive?
Kommersant reported that he received about $20 million for the two canceled concerts, citing sources familiar with the arrangement. One source said the sum also covered costs such as payments to staff.
Does West have to return the money?
A source cited by Kommersant said the contract does not require repayment. The contract was not published, so that account has not been independently established in the source material.
Were the St. Petersburg concerts canceled?
Yes. Say Agency announced the cancellation of the concerts scheduled for October 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena, and the Russian dates were removed from West’s tour schedule.
Are ticket buyers getting refunds?
The organizers said they would refund ticket buyers after canceling the shows. The report does not say how many refunds have been issued or provide a timetable.
Has a criminal case been opened against Say Agency?
The report says police opened a review after a complaint and planned to send collected materials to the Interior Ministry’s central office. It does not say that a criminal case has been opened; the ministry was to decide whether there were grounds to do so.
Source: rss
