Kanye West’s South Korea concert gets new date following previous cancellation controversy

Kanye West, now professionally known as Ye, is set to perform in South Korea on July 26, 2025, at Incheon Munhak Stadium. The event, titled Ye Live in Korea, was officially announced on June 20, 2025, by concert organizers Channel Candy via Instagram. The announcement comes after the rapper's previously scheduled concert in South Korea was canceled in May due to controversy surrounding his public statements and questionable new music.

The Ye Live in Korea concert marks the artist’s return to South Korea following the abrupt cancellation of the originally scheduled May 31, 2025, show, which was planned in collaboration with streaming service Coupang Play. That show, initially titled BULLY, was called off less than two weeks before its scheduled date.

Channel Candy had previously collaborated with Kanye West for a listening event in August 2024 at the Goyang Sports Complex. In the statement posted on Instagram, translated from Korean, the organizers promised fans a "memorable moment."

---

Kanye West's May 31 concert canceled after backlash to controversial track

Kanye West’s previously scheduled South Korea performance was canceled on May 19, 2025, by organizers Coupang Play, who cited “recent controversies” involving the artist as the reason. The decision followed public backlash after the release of Ye’s digital single Heil Hitler on May 8, 2025. The song included clips from a 1935 speech by Adolf Hitler, and lyrics that were allegedly sympathetic to Nazi ideology. Adding to the controversy, it was also released on Victory in Europe (VE) Day.

Although the May concert had already been promoted and ticketed, it was officially canceled by Coupang Play and ticketing partner Interpark Global, both of whom issued statements confirming the cancellation. As per reports by the Korea Herald on June 20, 2025, full refunds were offered to all ticket holders.

The track was later removed from Spotify, and Kanye West claimed that all streaming platforms had banned the song, according to a Billboard article from May 19, 2025. In a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), he criticized what he called a double standard in censorship:

“Heil Hitler by Ye has been banned by all digital streaming platforms. While Rednecks by Randy Newman remains streamable They’re literally keeping the n—-s down.”

In addition to the controversy over Heil Hitler, Kanye West made headlines in early May when he walked out of Piers Morgan Uncensored. The abrupt departure, according to Billboard, came minutes into the segment after a series of erratic statements. Addressing Morgan before walking out, he said:

“You’re not gonna take inches off my di–, bro,”

Kanye West also defended his legacy by comparing himself to cultural figures such as John Lennon and Michael Jackson, stating:

“There’s so much love in the art that I put out.”

---

Despite the controversies, Kanye West is proceeding with plans to perform in South Korea with a rescheduled concert at Incheon Munhak Stadium on July 26, 2025. The new event appears to be organized solely by Channel Candy, with no involvement from Coupang Play. Melon Ticket is the ticketing partner.

There has been no formal response from Coupang Play or Interpark Global regarding the new concert. Likewise, Kanye has not issued any public statement addressing the rescheduling or the earlier cancellation beyond his previous social media posts. As of now, ticketing details and supporting acts for the July 26, 2025, concert have not been made public.

Edited by Yesha Srivastava