Kanye West Could Pocket $20 Million for Canceled St. Petersburg Concerts

American rapper Kanye West is reportedly set to receive around $20 million for concerts in St. Petersburg that never took place — and he may not be required to return the money. Kommersant reports the development, citing sources familiar with the situation.

According to the publication, the artist’s contract does not require him to refund the sum if the performances are canceled. However, one source stressed that the money does not represent West’s net fee, as part of it is intended to cover his team’s salaries and other related expenses.

On September 30, Say Agency, the company organizing West’s concerts in Russia, officially announced that the shows would not go ahead on their scheduled dates. The company also said ticket refunds would begin on October 12, with detailed terms and conditions to be published later.

Following the cancellation, police in St. Petersburg launched a preliminary investigation to determine whether Say Agency’s organizers may have committed fraud.

The canceled concerts sparked widespread public and political controversy. Director Nikita Mikhalkov described the rapper’s potential tour as “a humiliation for the former Leningrad,” while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the country’s doors were “closed to those who profess Nazi ideology.”

Meanwhile, Ksenia Sobchak voiced support for holding the concerts, criticizing Safe Internet League head Ekaterina Mizulina and public figure Vitaly Borodin for allegedly trying to take credit for the cancellation. Musician Sergey Shnurov, in turn, mocked the uproar surrounding the American artist’s potential visit.