American rapper Kanye West has been invited to host his upcoming Russian concerts at the Museum of Medieval Art and Torture in Sukko after his planned Saint Petersburg dates ran into venue difficulties.
West was scheduled to perform in Saint Petersburg on October 10 and October 11 at Gazprom Arena, a 68,000-seat stadium that hosts major sports and music events. However, the planned shows were thrown into doubt after stadium management announced two days ago that no contract had been signed for the venue.
Despite the lack of a signed contract with the stadium, event organisers insisted that the performances would still take place regardless of the obstacles, noting that more than 115,000 tickets have already been sold for the Saint Petersburg dates.
Seeing the uncertainty surrounding the Saint Petersburg venue, museum director Vladimir Vladimirov released a video message on Russian Telegram channels on Wednesday offering an alternative location in southern Russia.
Invitation from Sukko Museum
Addressing West directly in the video broadcast, Vladimirov stated that as Russians they are accustomed to helping, and invited the artist to bring his concerts to the Krasnodar Territory.
Vladimirov suggested that the museum's singular atmosphere would allow West to realize his unconventional creative vision during his performances. He also encouraged the musician to sample local red mullet during his visit to the area.
The director said the Sukko site offered the perfect location for the rapper, featuring knights, witches, mountains, sea, magic, and a medieval environment where West could bring to life his boldest creative ideas and fantasies.
Previous Visits and World Tour
Sukko is a resort village located along the Black Sea coast in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, a popular tourist destination known for its coastal mountains and outdoor attractions.
The offer comes following West's visit to Moscow in 2024, when the Grammy-winning American rapper and producer attended the birthday celebration of a Russian fashion designer with whom he had previously collaborated.
Almost two weeks ago, West performed a concert in Kazakhstan, marking his first major appearance in Central Asia as part of a world tour that has also included concert dates in Spain.
Tour Controversies and Apology
The musician's international tour has faced widespread public controversy following past statements and actions by the artist. Controversy stemmed from antisemitic comments made in 2022, praise of Nazism, and swastika images posted on his social media accounts, as well as the sale of a T-shirt featuring a swastika on his official online store in 2025.
In January 2026, West published a lengthy apology essay titled To Those I Have Hurt in The Wall Street Journal newspaper. In the piece, he asked for forgiveness from both the Jewish and African American communities, stating that his behaviour was caused by psychological issues, specifically a severe manic episode aggravated by bipolar disorder.
While concert organisers continue to maintain that the planned October shows in Russia will go ahead, West has not publicly responded to the venue proposal from the Krasnodar museum.
