Kanye West Denies Tardiness at Shanghai Stadium, Blames Tech Glitches for Rocky 70K-Strong Show
More than 70,000 people filled Shanghai Stadium on July 12 for Kanye West’s first full show in the city since 2008, with ticket sales estimated between 70,000 and 72,000, marking one of the largest Hip-Hop gatherings in China’s history. West pushed back against reports that he arrived late, pointing to equipment failures as the source of a trimmed-down set and uneven show.
Many enthusiasts had looked forward to his return after nearly 15 years without a full-scale concert in Shanghai.
Complaints flooded Weibo, WeChat and other Chinese social networks, where users slammed the audio quality, a bare-bones production and the show’s abrupt cutoff.
Many ticket holders, who paid more than $400 each, chanted for refunds.
His camp released a written response that challenged several of the complaints that had gone public.
In that detailed statement, they called out inaccurate reports about his schedule and pointed to the footage as evidence that he had shown up on time.
Such footage, they said, dispels any notion the artist was tardy that afternoon.
The show had been set to start at 7:30 P.M., but on-site equipment glitches kept crew members troubleshooting past 8:00 P.M., and the system still failed to meet performance standards.
That delay tested fans’ patience before the performance got under way.
They noted that extensive technical checks and recalibrations took place behind the scenes before the show finally got underway.
His team said he chose to go on stage out of respect for fans’ enthusiasm, rejecting any suggestion that he arrived late.
They added that honoring the fans’ energy remained his priority under the less-than-ideal setup.
The performance did include three interim pauses when gear malfunctioned. Each time he went backstage to work with technicians before quickly resuming the set.
Even in heavy rain, he returned to the stage to continue, aiming to honor the fans’ expectations.
After his final song, West bowed in the rain and left the stage. Ten minutes later, the venue played an unauthorized track that his camp said never passed through his team.
“Ye was completely unaware of this and was shocked to learn of it,” his team said.
“I love China. I love my Chinese fans. Your support is my greatest motivation. I promise to return your trust and love with even more perfect performances in the future!” Kanye said.
