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Kanye West fans chant refund demands as rapper’s Shanghai concert starts off late

Kanye West fans demand refunds after his Shanghai concert faces unexpected delays and leaves the audience frustrated.
posted by Anisa Nandy
Sunday 7/13/2025 at 9:40AM EDT
  • Kanye West fans chant refund demands as rapper’s Shanghai concert starts off late
    Kanye West fans chant refund demands as rapper’s Shanghai concert starts off late

    Thousands of eager fans packed Shanghai Stadium on Friday night, expecting Ye (formerly Kanye West) to deliver a groundbreaking show matching the buzz around his new album. Rather, the evening was a somewhat unexpected turn of events: the concert did not start until many hours later than planned. The stage setup was simple, and the energy wasn’t as intense as Ye’s previous live shows.

    The show was sold as a big comeback but left a lot feeling tricked. Some said Ye's non-stop wild acts have turned into a habit that upsets true fans. For an artist known for big scenes and drama, this dull show just made talks about Ye's current work heat up.

    Fans left waiting in the rain, disappointed by bare-bones show

    Fans were upset as the show, due at 7:30 p.m., had not begun by 8 p.m., reportedly. It kept raining while people waited, and many started to shout for their money back. Ye showed up almost 40 minutes late, yet the show didn't meet hopes and didn't feel at all great. No special stage design, no effects of lights and even greeting the audience was absent. Reportedly Ye just jumped in to give a performance. 

    Fans who came to the big event were set to spend big money, with ticket prices from 980 yuan (about $137 USD) to 2,680 yuan (near $374 USD). The Sanxiang Metropolis Daily said that many people bought tickets for the high costs, 1,880 yuan ($263 USD) and 2,680 yuan ($374 USD). This shows that the demand for tickets was high, even at the high prices. 

    This cost range shows how much fans value the event but also points out how live shows keep drawing big groups ready to spend a lot for a special spot. For many, the price was fair for a chance to be in a place full of energy, amazing sights, and a memory to keep long after the end.

    Other concertgoers who had bought premium seats believed that the rain only worsened the experience because it dampened the sound and muted the excitement of what would have been a high-energy concert.

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    What the netizens say

    On X, people all over the web were talking a lot about their frustration because of a sudden delay. Many sent out memes and complaints about having to stand for hours even though they paid a lot for tickets. Some asked if the people running it planned or talked well, while others stood up for the situation, pointing out that big events can face tech problems.

    Comment section got full of fans talking about missing trains, changing plans, and just how annoying it was to wait with no clear news. Even with the bother, some made light of it, saying the long wait just made the event more dramatic. They showed that for big shows, you sometimes have to be ready to wait as part of what you pay for.

    "He needed a cultural sensitivity consultant," a user commented.

    "wow 40 mins late. what a major crime!," another user commented.

    "Mostly lip synching. His microphone must have been up less than 20% of the time," another netizen expressed.

    Some folks online just left comments with their thoughts on the wait. They did not go deep into blame or fun talk. Many just put up quick news about still waiting, and checked in with others who were also stuck outside or had been sitting for hours. A few made easy talk about wishing for things to get right soon, while others said how waits like this seem to come more often now.

    All in all, the talk showed a bit of mild annoyance, some understanding, and people just trying to make the best of the time while they waited for the event to start.

    "Stage set-up was terrible. I paid $260 for my seat and though they were reasonably close, he stayed in the circle so nobody could actually see him closely even if you were vip. Also he wore a mask the entire show. People came to see u my guy!," a user commented.

    "Kinda looks like the stage from my pfp," another user commented.

    "Classic American nature," another user wrote.

    Some other people commented:

    "For the encore, he disappeared for over 20 minutes at one point as tracks like Wolves just played out with him nowhere in sight. I could have just played your music at home man. Came to see u perform????," a netizen commented.

    "He kept complaining about the order of the songs and repeatedly started tracks and then asked to stop and come back to those later. Like for all of the lights and famous," another netizen commented.

    "Randomly walking off-stage and re-appearing multiple times. DURING the encore, he vanished again and came back again too. Weird," a netizen wrote.

    The crowd had a mix of emotions, some were mad, others were cool about it, and many just made fun to pass the time as they dealt with the delay. While a few folks aired their anger about bad management and the long hold-up, others joked around, sharing laughs and news on the web to help ease the drag.

    At last, these different ways to deal gave us a peek at how those watching, though put on a spot, still found ways to bond and keep the joy that pulled them there from the start.

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    What was billed as Kanye's groundbreaking Shanghai show left many fans disillusioned

    According to critics who responded to the recent performance at Shanghai Stadium, heralded as a historic, immersive demonstration of Kanye artistic capability, all it created were complaints on the internet. An act that was positioned as a genre-traveling landmark of a show, filled with up-to-date graphics and a new song selection, caused a backlash of many fans discussing their frustrations on social media.

    Those in attendance revealed that they went in feeling excited but came out disappointed owing to sudden breaks during the show and the absence of clear message during deliveries when the artist was out of stage. There were some who thought that he was changing costumes, but with nothing done about it in reality, and nothing said, there was only a weakening of the effect caused by the repetitions.

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    In the end, what was thought to break new ground ended up as an event that made many wonder if it lived up to the big talk.

    Keep reading PRIMETIMER for more informative content!

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    TOPICS: Kanye West


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