Albania defends €4m for Kanye West concert

Albania's government defended its €4 million payment to support an upcoming Kanye West concert in Tirana, after criticism from opposition figures and arts groups and reports of weak ticket sales.

Culture Minister Blendi Gonxhe said Friday that ensuring the concert went ahead was important to put Tirana on the “map of capitals hosting events of this scale”. He said a concert's success was not measured only by ticket revenue and cited expected tourism benefits.

Prime Minister Edi Rama is facing criticism after announcing the funding for Saturday's performance. Rama previously said 25,000 tickets had been sold to foreign visitors and that the support was offered to prevent cancellation and avoid embarrassing Albania.

The concert required a purpose-built structure on the city's outskirts and was planned for 60,000 people. Local media reported that ticket sales had fallen well short of that number.

The funding dispute comes during a second month of daily protests demanding Rama's resignation. The protests were first triggered by a planned resort linked to US President Donald Trump's family in a protected nature reserve in southern Albania and have become a focus for anger over perceived corruption.

West has caused outrage with comments glorifying Adolf Hitler, a song titled “Heil Hitler” and the sale of swastika T-shirts on his website. He has since denied being antisemitic and attributed his remarks to bipolar disorder.