Kanye West Lands in Tirana as Opposition Leader’s Appeal to Cancel Concert Goes Unanswered

Albanian opposition leader Agron Shehaj publicly urged Kanye West to reject Prime Minister Edi Rama’s €4 million in public funding for the Kanye West Albania concert and to cancel the show entirely, but the rapper landed in Tirana on July 10, 2026, with the performance still set to go ahead at Air Albania Eagle Stadium.

Ye is in Albania 🇦🇱 pic.twitter.com/1MjScifsPL
— GoodAssSub (@GoodAssSub) July 10, 2026

Key facts

What: Opposition MP Agron Shehaj released a public video message asking Kanye West (Ye) to reject Albanian government funding and cancel his Tirana concert.

When: Video message published July 9, 2026; West arrived in Tirana July 10, 2026; concert scheduled for July 11, 2026 at 21:00 local time.

Where: Air Albania Eagle Stadium, a temporary 60,000-capacity venue in Kashar, on the Tirana–Durrës corridor.

Funding at issue: €4 million (about $4.56 million) drawn from Albania’s emergency reserve fund.

Status: As of this writing, hours before showtime, the concert remains on schedule and West has not addressed Shehaj’s appeal.

Who is Agron Shehaj and what did he ask Kanye West to do?

Agron Shehaj is the chairman of Albania’s opposition Mundësia (Opportunity) Party and a member of parliament for Tirana County. He founded the party in June 2024 after leaving the Democratic Party, and Mundësia won two parliamentary seats in the 2025 election.

In his video message, Shehaj called on Kanye West to reject the government’s money and walk away from the show, describing Prime Minister Rama as an autocrat and arguing that a billionaire artist has no need for public funds drawn from what he called Europe’s poorest population. He told West that turning down the concert would make him “unforgettable” in Albania.

Why is the Albanian government funding the Kanye West Albania concert?

Albania’s Ministry of Culture initially said the concert would be entirely self-financed through ticket sales after Rama announced the show on Facebook in April 2026. That position changed in early July, when the government allocated €4 million from its emergency reserve to the event, prompting public criticism amid ongoing protests in Tirana.

Rama defended the spending on July 8, 2026, saying the funds were needed to avoid embarrassing Albania in front of roughly 25,000 foreign visitors from 80 countries who had already bought tickets. He said the concert was expected to generate at least €100 million in revenue for the country through tourism and hospitality bookings. The funding decision landed in the middle of daily protests that have gripped Tirana for more than a month over a separate, unrelated luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner.

Why have Kanye West’s other European tour dates been cancelled?

The Tirana stop is one of the few Ye Tour 2026 dates still standing after a wave of cancellations tied to West’s history of antisemitic remarks and Nazi-glorifying content. His headline booking at London’s Wireless Festival collapsed after the UK Home Office blocked his entry, and Wireless later scrapped its entire 2026 lineup. Shows in Switzerland, Poland and France were also called off. Human rights activist Sidorela Vatnikaj and Association of Journalists of Albania head Isa Myzyraj have separately criticized the Albanian government’s decision to platform and fund West’s appearance.

Confirmed Ye Tour 2026 stops include the following dates:

City | Venue | Date
Arnhem, Netherlands | GelreDome | June 8, 2026
Tbilisi, Georgia | Dinamo Arena | June 12, 2026
Tampa, USA | Raymond James Stadium | June 26 & 28, 2026
Tirana, Albania | Air Albania Eagle Stadium | July 11, 2026
Madrid, Spain | Riyadh Air Metropolitano | July 30, 2026
Algarve, Portugal | Estádio Algarve | August 7, 2026

Is the concert still happening despite Shehaj’s appeal?

Kanye West arrived in Tirana on July 10, 2026, one day after Shehaj released his video message, with arrival footage published by Euronews Albania showing him entering a venue as waiting fans cheered. Prime Minister Rama said on Facebook that all preparations for the show were complete, and Tirana police confirmed traffic restrictions along the Tirana–Durrës highway from 07:00 to 24:00 on the day of the concert, along with a dedicated shuttle bus service from Skanderbeg Square starting at 15:00.

As of this writing, a few hours before the scheduled 21:00 start, Kanye West has not publicly addressed Shehaj’s appeal, Rama’s government has shown no sign of reversing the funding decision, and there is no indication the show will be cancelled. TSNVWRLD will update this story with any statement from West or further developments from Tirana.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Agron Shehaj?

Agron Shehaj is an Albanian politician and entrepreneur who chairs the opposition Mundësia (Opportunity) Party and serves as a member of parliament for Tirana County.

Why did Agron Shehaj ask Kanye West to cancel his Tirana concert?

Shehaj objected to the Albanian government spending 4 million euros in public funds on the concert, arguing the money belongs to ordinary Albanians and that West, as a billionaire, does not need it.

How much money did the Albanian government give for Kanye West’s concert?

The government allocated 4 million euros, about 4.56 million dollars, from its emergency reserve fund after earlier saying the concert would be self-financed through ticket sales.

Where and when is the Kanye West Albania concert taking place?

The concert is scheduled for July 11, 2026 at 21:00 local time at Air Albania Eagle Stadium, a temporary 60,000-capacity venue in Kashar on the Tirana-Durres corridor.

Has Kanye West responded to the cancellation request?

Kanye West has not publicly addressed Agron Shehaj’s appeal. He arrived in Tirana on July 10, 2026, and the concert remained on schedule to proceed that evening.