Kanye West’s highly anticipated return to the stage turned into chaos on Saturday night in Shanghai, as his first live show in nearly a year left thousands of fans disappointed and demanding refunds. Performing at the Pudong Football Stadium, West now legally known as Ye arrived over 40 minutes late, triggering frustration among the 70,000 attendees who had gathered for his first concert in China in 17 years.
Technical Failures and Fan Backlash
According to Global Times, the concert was marred by significant audio issues, long delays, and what many described as a lackluster performance. Videos circulating on X (formerly Twitter) showed fans chanting for refunds. One longtime fan shared his dismay online, writing, “Was hard to get tix for him in Shanghai… Worst concert I’ve ever been to.”
The fan further accused West of lip-syncing through most of the show, claiming his microphone was barely active and that he disappeared from the stage for over 20 minutes during the encore while songs like Wolves played without him. “I could have just played your music at home,” the user wrote.
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
Also Read: Bianca Censori’s N*de Pics: Kanye West’s Artistic Vision or Boundary-Pushing?
Organizer Response and Legal Storm
Event promoter StellarAmberGroup issued an apology on Sina Weibo, blaming heavy rainfall for the production setbacks. They acknowledged that several planned visuals couldn’t be executed and apologized to concertgoers for the disruptions.
Adding to the turmoil, the show came just days after serious legal allegations resurfaced against West. In an amended lawsuit, former assistant Lauren Pisciotta accused the rapper of sexual assault, battery, stalking, and sex trafficking. Pisciotta, who worked for West between 2021 and 2022, detailed incidents of abuse during a trip to San Francisco. West’s spokesperson has denied all allegations, calling them false in a statement to Page Six.
