Kanye West's Shanghai Concert Disaster: Fans Left Fuming Over Delayed Start, Lackluster Performance, and Abrupt Exit
Kanye West's concert at Shanghai Stadium on July 12, 2024, was marred by multiple issues, sparking widespread criticism on Chinese social media. The concert was scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM but didn't start until around 8:20 PM, a 45-minute delay that left fans waiting in the rain and chanting for refunds. When Kanye finally appeared, the concert notably lacked basic production elements, with no opening act, no stage effects, and reportedly even no proper lighting. He simply started performing immediately upon arrival.
13 July 2025
The situation took a turn for the worse around 22:00, approximately after only one hour of performance, when Kanye abruptly left the stage due to heavy rain without any explanation or goodbye to fans. After his departure, the audience was left standing in the rain for another 20 minutes while only backing tracks played. The controversy was amplified by the high ticket prices, which ranged from 980 to 2,680 yuan, with most attendees paying either 1,880 or 2,680 yuan for their tickets.
This incident has gone viral on Chinese social media, with many fans and netizens calling for refunds and criticizing Kanye's unprofessional behavior. The hashtag #侃爷上海演唱会嫌雨太大提前退场# (Kanye West leaves Shanghai concert early due to heavy rain) has been trending, highlighting the public's outrage over the combination of expensive tickets, late start, lack of production value, and particularly the disrespectful ending where fans were left in the rain listening to backing tracks.
Kanye West's history of similar behavior at concerts has also come under scrutiny, with references being made to a similar incident in Korea where he was late by an hour. The incident has led to significant backlash, with many expressing strong disappointment over the short performance and lack of production value. Fans feel that the money they paid was not worth it, with comments like "这个钱太好赚了" (this money was too easy to earn) reflecting the widespread sentiment.
The concert attendees, who paid between 980-2680 yuan for tickets, were left feeling frustrated and disrespected. They waited in the rain for the delayed start, chanted for refunds when Kanye was late, and were ultimately left with a backing track for 20 minutes after his early departure. The event organizers have faced criticism for their handling of the situation, with no reported official response to the incident. Shanghai Stadium, the venue where the incident took place, has also been implicated in the controversy. Overall, the public sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, with many calling for refunds and criticizing both the professionalism and respect shown to fans.
