Kanye West is dealing with heavy criticism and requests for refunds after a messy performance in Shanghai, China, over the weekend. Fans at the Shanghai Stadium concert shared their extreme disappointment, pointing to major delays, claims of lip-syncing, and the rapper suddenly leaving the stage during the show.
According to unhappy attendees, West arrived more than 45 minutes late to the concert, leading the crowd of 70,000 people to shout demands for their money back. One fan on X called it the “Worst concert I’ve ever been to,” even though they had been a longtime fan of West’s music. They said West was “mostly lip synching” and had his “microphone… up less than 20% of the time.”
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
Making fans even more upset, West reportedly “disappeared for over 20 minutes at one point” while his music kept playing, leaving the stage empty. “I could have just played your music at home man. Came to see u perform????” the fan continued. Other complaints included West staying far away from the audience, even from VIP sections, and wearing a mask the entire show.
Kanye West concert fans want refunds
Videos posted on X show the Shanghai crowd shouting for refunds in their own language. Tickets for the event reportedly cost between $260 and over $400. The event organizer, StellarAmberGroup, posted a statement on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, blaming some of the production problems on heavy rain, which stopped certain visual effects from working as planned.
Shanghai consumers DO NOT PLAY.
— 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐓𝐘𝐌𝐄
Massive crowd was shouting REFUND after Ye was late 40 minutes to his concert. https://t.co/vK75CurL0O pic.twitter.com/7ZFt3ynuv2(@DetroitShowtyme) July 12, 2025
Despite the negative reaction, Kanye West went on X to thank his fans and the Chinese government, tweeting, “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.”
12. @kanyewest you should not tour. It’s not for you. Stick to the studio. Drop surprise albums and be that guy. I’m the biggest supporter of (most of) your work. You waste people’s time, excitement and money by pretending that you’re a performer.
— Fabian_Lemuel (@Fabian_Lemuel) July 13, 2025
This disorganized Shanghai performance just underscores what has been happening to the rapper lately. West is already involved in other controversies, including recent legal issues and a canceled festival appearance in Slovakia. West still has upcoming concerts scheduled in Slovakia from July 18 to 20 and in Korea on July 26.
