Kanye West is reportedly planning a huge stadium tour of Australia this year, but even one of the world’s most famous artists has to play second fiddle to football in this country.
The Donda star has been informed that he must adjust his touring schedule to accommodate a round one match of the AFL, as reported by The Age.
Ye wants to play at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium but his initially planned date clashes with St Kilda vs Collingwood on Friday, March 18th. The Saints and Magpies kicking off at that time wouldn’t provide sufficient time for Ye’s huge production team to settle in and the AFL, owners of the stadium, haven’t been convinced by his representatives to move the match to another available venue.
St Kilda probably wouldn’t fancy moving to an alternative venue like the MCG either: the club have won just 12 matches in 11 years at that stadium.
The rapper will reportedly now perform before the upcoming AFL season begins instead, with the prior weekend beginning March 12th suggested as a possible alternative.
Although he’s not yet officially announced his world tour, West (who recently changed his legal name to Ye) would need to return to the US in time for the Grammys, which are being held in Las Vegas on April 3rd. He’s also set to headline this year’s Coachella festival in California on April 15th and 22nd.
If Ye’s planned tour goes ahead, it will be his seventh visit to Australia: he previously toured here twice in 2006, once in 2014, and performed at Good Vibrations in 2008, Splendour in the Grass in 2011, and the Big Day Out in 2012.
And the appetite for the artist certainly prevails in the country. His latest album, Donda, debuted at the top of the ARIA album chart, while 19 tracks from it made it onto the singles chart. Meanwhile, West just today revealed that a sequel album – fittingly titled Donda 2 – is set to arrive on February 22nd, or 2.22.22.
Ye’s tour in Australia is a joint endeavour between tour organiser TEG, which owns Ticketek, and Visit Victoria. The plans for it haven’t yet been finalised but it would come as a welcome boost for Australia’s music industry as it continues to battle COVID-19 restrictions.
