Controversial rapper Kanye West returned to China this past weekend for his first full-length concert in about a year, but now, fans are calling for refunds after he showed up late to his set — and left early.
The gig took place at the 70,000-capacity Shanghai Stadium on Saturday. According to The Global Times, West appeared onstage over 40 minutes late and the set was described as dismal — he performed with minimal production and lighting alone in the middle of the stage while it rained around the outdoor venue.
Throughout his set, there were reportedly issues with the DJ, which caused him to restart songs and even skip some entirely. He also walked off stage multiple times, and eventually, just left the stage altogether before his performance was slated to end.
Notably, West tweaked the lyrics to his highly controversial “Heil Hitler” song, changing the words from “heil Hitler” to “hallelujah.”
Following his exit offstage, massive crowds in attendance began to chant “refunds.”
Shanghai consumers DO NOT PLAY.
Massive crowd was shouting REFUND after Ye was late 40 minutes to his concert. https://t.co/vK75CurL0O pic.twitter.com/7ZFt3ynuv2
— 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐓𝐘𝐌𝐄 🇨🇳🇺🇸⚜️ (@DetroitShowtyme) July 12, 2025
这下侃爷真成沪Ye了
The REAL 夜上海 finally showed up 40 minutes late to his show in SHANGHAI ⏰For those familiar with the strict rules in CHINA, this time WILL not be added back. They will cut his show precisely according to schedule 🎬 pic.twitter.com/9ySYRjBIlL
— 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐓𝐘𝐌𝐄 🇨🇳🇺🇸⚜️ (@DetroitShowtyme) July 12, 2025
Others took to social media to share their experience and called for their tickets to be refunded, with some claiming they paid upwards of $400 USD and were stuck outside waiting in 30-40 degrees Celsius. One fan even called it the “worst concert I’ve ever been to.”
So I’ve been a fan of Kanye West since I was a teen. MBDTF opened my ears to the sonics in music. Was hard to get tix for him in Shanghai but got it. Was hyped af. Couldn’t even sleep night before. But. Worst concert I’ve ever been to. @kanyewest u can be better pic.twitter.com/3CbPd0BO29
— Fabian_Lemuel (@Fabian_Lemuel) July 13, 2025
Another fan told The Global Times that they purchased a 2,180-yuan concert ticket, but weren’t able to fully immersive themselves into the experience, as West left the stage without explanation several times. Others told the publication that the overall show did not match the high ticket price, questioning whether any real effort was put into the performance.
Following the show, event promoter StellarAmberGroup posted a statement on the Chinese platform Sina Weibo, noting that the key stage visuals and smoke effects could not be executed as planned amid weather conditions.
“However, for this long-awaited return after 17 years, Ye’s team insisted on prioritizing artistic integrity,” the statement read. “After emergency adjustments, the show was delayed to ensure the best possible experience and to minimize the disappointment for the audience.”
West has been under fire as of late following the release of “Heil Hitler.” He has officially been banned from entering Australia, with the country’s home affairs minister Tony Burke noting in an interview with the Australia Broadcasting Corporation that West “has been coming to Australia for a long time…and he’s made a lot of offensive comments.”
“I think that what’s not sustainable is to import hatred,” Burke said. “We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.”
“Heil Hitler,” which dropped in May, included a music video where men wore animal skins and chanted the song’s title. The track was been banned on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. However, West has since confirmed he is “done with anti-Semitism” and released a new version of the song, dubbed “Hallelujah,” with lyrics that reference Christianity.
