Ticketing company Intickets announced on October 6 that refunds for tickets sold for American rapper Kanye West's planned concerts in Saint Petersburg will begin on October 12, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
The performances by the American musician and producer had been scheduled to take place over two consecutive nights on October 10 and October 11 at the Gazprom Arena. The overall organization and promotional logistics for the concerts were handled by Russian agency Say Agency.
The announcement that buyers will receive their money back follows regulatory intervention on October 2, when Russian consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor issued a formal warning to Say Agency. The state agency stated that the warning was issued because tickets were being sold to the public in the absence of a signed contract with the concert venue.
Disputes over Saint Petersburg stadium venue
Reports that West would perform in Saint Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, first surfaced on August 17. The upcoming concert was subsequently given official status when Gazprom Arena posted an announcement about the scheduled dates across its official social media channels.
However, just one week after that social media announcement, the venue refused to host the concert. Gazprom Arena cited a lack of formal agreements with the organizers as the reason for turning down the event.
Kanye West is an American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer who has released multiple hit albums. Gazprom Arena, located on Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, is a venue with a capacity of 68,000 spectators that hosts major athletic fixtures and musical performances. Rospotrebnadzor is the Russian federal body overseeing consumer protection and market regulation, while TASS is the country's primary state news agency.
With the venue refusing to host the shows and regulatory authorities intervening over sales compliance, ticketing firm Intickets stated that ticket holders will be able to request full refunds beginning October 12.
