Ye played his first-ever concert in Albania on July 11, 2026, delivering a 35-song set at a temporary Eagle Stadium in Tirana, and the Ye Tirana concert recap comes with a live debut, a viral crowd moment, and a $4.6 million government funding fight that dominated headlines all week.
The show, part of his LIVE CONCERT TOUR 2O26, went ahead as scheduled despite a public appeal from an opposition MP urging Ye to reject the funding and cancel, and despite a run of cancellations across Europe earlier this year.
Key facts
- What: Ye’s first concert in Albania, part of the LIVE CONCERT TOUR 2O26
- Who: Ye, with vocalist Andre Troutman and the live debut of “I Can’t Wait (Lauryn Hill Version)”
- When: July 11, 2026
- Where: Eagle Stadium, a temporary venue built onto the existing Air Albania Stadium in Tirana
- Why it matters: Albania’s government redirected €4 million ($4.6 million) from its emergency reserve to help fund the show
Ye Tirana Concert Recap: What Happened at Eagle Stadium?
Ye opened with “KING” and moved through an early run of “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1,” “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” “Niggas in Paris,” “Mercy,” “Praise God,” “Black Skinhead,” “On Sight,” “Blood on the Leaves” and “CARNIVAL,” according to setlist.fm. The 35-song set closed with “Runaway,” backed by a tape of “Moon” as Ye returned to the stage, and the show’s first-ever tour outro of “Hey Mama” playing fans out.
Midway through the set, Ye stopped “Famous” partway through and restarted it from the beginning so the crowd could sing the hook back to him a second time, a moment fan account @yzyupdates captured on video that had drawn more than 30,000 views within hours.
Ye started playing “Famous” and had to restart it because he wanted to hear the crowd say, “I made that bitch famous.” 😭
— yzyupdates (@yzyupdates) July 12, 2026
“Start it from the beginning cause I gotta hear the crowd say, “I made that bitch famous!!” 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/wLblPVqCo7
What was the “I Can’t Wait (Lauryn Hill Version)” live debut?
Song 19 of the set, listed by setlist.fm as “I Can’t Wait (Lauryn Hill Version),” marked the first time that version of the track had ever been played live on the tour. The song is credited on Ye’s 2026 album Bully. No reporting confirms Lauryn Hill appeared in Tirana; the title reflects the recorded version’s name rather than a live guest spot.
Who joined Ye onstage?
Vocalist Andre Troutman sang on “Say You Will,” “Heartless,” “ALL THE LOVE,” “Flashing Lights” and “Stronger,” continuing the same supporting role he held during Ye’s Tampa shows two weeks earlier.
Why was the Ye Tirana concert controversial?
Albania’s Ministry of Culture originally said the concert would be entirely self-financed through ticket sales after Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the booking in April 2026. That changed in early July, when the government allocated €4 million from its emergency reserve fund to the show, a reversal that drew public criticism inside Albania.
Rama defended the spending on July 8, 2026, arguing it would prevent embarrassing Albania in front of roughly 25,000 foreign ticket holders traveling from 80 countries, and said the concert was projected to generate at least €100 million for the country through tourism and hospitality bookings.
Days before the show, opposition MP Agron Shehaj publicly urged Ye to reject the funding and cancel the concert, calling the use of public money from what he described as Europe’s poorest population indefensible. Ye never addressed the appeal publicly, and the show went ahead as planned.
Tirana was one of the few Ye Tour 2026 European dates to survive a wave of cancellations this year. Wireless Festival in London was scrapped after the UK Home Office blocked Ye’s entry, and shows in Switzerland, Poland and France were called off following backlash over his past antisemitic remarks.
How big was the crowd in Tirana?
Local outlet CNA described the stadium as full, with fans “going crazy” during the show. Eagle Stadium was built as a temporary structure attached to the existing 22,500-capacity Air Albania Stadium, expanding capacity to roughly 60,000 for the one-night show. Albanian outlet Balkanweb reported that presale moved 10,000 tickets within two hours of going on sale in May.
Full setlist: Ye at Eagle Stadium, Tirana
| # | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KING | |
| 2 | Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1 | |
| 3 | Can’t Tell Me Nothing | |
| 4 | Niggas in Paris | |
| 5 | Mercy | |
| 6 | Praise God | |
| 7 | Black Skinhead | |
| 8 | On Sight | |
| 9 | Blood on the Leaves | |
| 10 | CARNIVAL | |
| 11 | Power | |
| 12 | Bound 2 | |
| 13 | Fade | |
| 14 | Say You Will | with Andre Troutman |
| 15 | Heartless | with Andre Troutman |
| 16 | ALL THE LOVE | with Andre Troutman |
| 17 | HIGHS AND LOWS | |
| 18 | BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | |
| 19 | I CAN’T WAIT (Lauryn Hill Version) | Live debut |
| 20 | FATHER | |
| 21 | EVERYBODY | |
| 22 | Famous | Restarted for a crowd callback |
| 23 | American Boy | |
| 24 | Jesus Walks | |
| 25 | All Falls Down | |
| 26 | Through the Wire | |
| 27 | Gold Digger | |
| 28 | Touch the Sky | |
| 29 | Good Life | with P.Y.T. intro |
| 30 | Homecoming | |
| 31 | All of the Lights | |
| 32 | Flashing Lights | with Andre Troutman |
| 33 | Stronger | with Andre Troutman |
| 34 | Ghost Town | |
| 35 | Runaway | |
| — | Moon | Tape, played as Ye returned for Runaway |
| — | Hey Mama | Tape, tour debut closing outro |
What’s next on the tour?
Ye’s next confirmed stops are July 30 at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, and August 7 at Estádio Algarve in Portugal.
Frequently asked questions
When did Ye perform in Albania?
Ye played his first concert in Albania on July 11, 2026, at Eagle Stadium in Tirana as part of his LIVE CONCERT TOUR 2O26. This Ye Tirana concert recap covers the full setlist and the funding controversy around it.
Why was the Ye Tirana concert controversial?
Albania’s government redirected €4 million ($4.6 million) from its emergency reserve fund to help finance the show, reversing an earlier pledge that it would be self-financed. Opposition MP Agron Shehaj publicly urged Ye to reject the funding and cancel, but the concert went ahead as scheduled.
Did Lauryn Hill perform live at the Tirana concert?
There is no report of Lauryn Hill appearing in person. Ye debuted a song listed as “I Can’t Wait (Lauryn Hill Version)” live for the first time on the tour, but the name refers to the recorded version, not a confirmed guest appearance.
What songs did Ye play at Eagle Stadium?
Ye played 35 songs opening with “KING” and closing with “Runaway,” including catalog staples like “Black Skinhead,” “Power,” “Gold Digger” and “Stronger,” plus a mid-show restart of “Famous” for a crowd callback moment.
What’s next on Ye’s 2026 tour?
Ye is next scheduled to perform July 30 in Madrid, Spain, and August 7 in the Algarve, Portugal.

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