Hip-hop artist Ye’s first concert in Shanghai in 17 years ended in controversy Saturday night, after he arrived late and walked off stage multiple times.

The highly anticipated show was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., but Ye, the most recent stage name of American rapper Kanye West, didn’t appear until around 8:15 — by which point chants of “Refund! Refund!” had already started echoing through parts of the stadium.

By the end of the night, videos of the scene were circulating widely online and “Ye refund” surged to the top of trending topics on microblogging site Weibo, forcing the concert’s organizer to issue a public apology.

While many fans voiced frustration, others defended him, calling the stripped-down performance an intentional artistic choice.

According to attendees, Ye left the stage several times mid-performance without explanation, returning briefly before exiting again. The concert ultimately ended with the final two played over the speakers as fans waited for him to return — he never did.

Videos from the night showed long silences and rows of empty seats, drawing sharp contrast with his sold-out Haikou show last year at Wuyuan River Sports Stadium in the island province of Hainan, which featured elaborate visuals and drew widespread praise.

That concert generated an estimated 51 million yuan ($7.2 million) in ticket sales and boosted local tourism revenue by more than 370 million yuan, according to government data.

But unlike that show — managed by a different company — the Shanghai concert was organized by a little-known local subsidiary of a Sichuan-based tourism group better known for operating hotels.

According to business database Tianyancha, the branch was established on May 22, less than two months before the event. Many attendees blamed the company for what they described as poor planning and execution.

The promoter, Stellar Amber Group, issued a public apology the day after the concert, blaming the weather and last-minute equipment adjustments for the failure to deliver “standard visual elements and smoke effects.”

“For this return after 17 years, Ye’s team insisted on prioritizing artistic integrity. After urgent adjustments, the show started later to ensure the best experience and avoid disappointing the audience,” the statement read.

“We sincerely thank Ye and his team for performing in the rain and doing their utmost to maintain the full show duration.”

The statement made no mention of refunds even as ticketing platforms continued to list the event as non-refundable.

The disappointment was compounded by high ticket prices. When sales opened on July 2 for the Shanghai concert, floor seats were listed at 2,680 yuan — significantly higher than the 1,680 to 2,000 yuan range at Ye’s Haikou concert. Even the cheapest seats started at 980 yuan.

Some fans defended the performer, placing blame squarely on the organizers. “I was actually quite satisfied with Ye himself — the real issue was with the event organizers, who clearly lacked experience,” said Zhang, a 26-year-old attendee who gave only his surname for privacy reasons.

“It rained for more than an hour that night, and he kept performing through the downpour, actively interacting with the audience,” Zhang added. “As a longtime fan, I found it really moving.”

Others praised the concert’s aesthetic, calling it true to Ye’s avant-garde style. “The staging was completely Ye — minimalist but powerful,” said Wang, a 34-year-old attendee who gave only her surname for privacy.

“The livestream used a negative color filter. On site, he looked like he was floating in white smoke. But in the video, it became a white silhouette swallowed by black. It was amazing — I just wish the screen had been bigger.”

Still, she admitted the ending felt anticlimactic. “It was like a great show that fizzled out. That was hard to accept,” she said. “But this was someone I loved in my teens, now 48, performing practically at my doorstep. I missed out 17 years ago because I couldn’t afford the ticket — now I finally made it.”

The artist himself later posted a message of thanks: “Thank you to my fans in China and the Chinese government. The energy was amazing. Love all of you forever. Can’t wait till the next show,” he wrote on X on July 14.

Editor: Apurva.

 (Header image: Kanye West performs during the concert in Shanghai, July 12, 2025. From @KanyeWestNews on Weibo)