Kanye West vs. Kairat - the issue with the stadium and the concert is still unresolved in Almaty
Earlier, it was reported that American rapper Kanye West plans to perform in Almaty August 14, 2026.
Information first surfaced on one of the artist's fan pages, which also reported that ticket sales were scheduled to begin on July 20.Later, information about the concert was confirmed by the Almaty Akimat (City Administration). Additionally, a similar announcement was posted on the page of Joseph Karre, entrepreneur and founder of Karre Ventures and ML1 Records.
Later, Kazakhstan appeared on the concert schedule ETA website published on a specialized tour website for the artist.
Photo: tour.yeezy.com
Kairat opposes Kanye concert
In an official statement Kairat announced that information about the concert appeared in the public domain without prior consultation with the club.
"FC Kairat officially informs that the announced event date was not coordinated by the concert organizers with the club, which plays its home matches at the Central Stadium and continues its participation in European club tournaments," the statement reads.
The club noted that the team is scheduled to play several important matches at the Central Stadium in August.
"According to the Kazakhstan Premier League calendar, FC Kairat is scheduled to play home league matches at the Central Stadium on August 8 and 15. Furthermore, the stadium could potentially host a home match for the club in European competition between August 11 and 13," the statement noted.
Kairat could play Champions League matches at Central Stadium
As a reminder, the draw for the third qualifying round of the 2026/27 Champions League season took place on July 20. Almaty’s Kairat was drawn against Cyprus’s Omonia, with matches scheduled for July 22 (in Nicosia) and July 29 (in Almaty).
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A post from FC Kairat Almaty (@f.c.kairat)
Should they defeat the Cypriots, Kairat will face the winner of the Levski (Bulgaria) vs. Universitatea (Romania) tie. It is the home leg against one of these teams that coincides with the date of Kanye West's Almaty concert. The potential home match at the Central Stadium is planned for August 12, with the away leg on August 5.
This means Kairat’s potential match would take place on August 12, while Kanye's concert is set for August 14.
Screenshot: uefa.com
How will the venue issue for Kanye be resolved? It is no secret that a performance by an artist of this magnitude requires meticulous preparation.
Specifically for this concert, organizers are building a spherical structure in the center of the arena representing the globe. This construction traditionally serves as the rapper's stage.
Whether it can be assembled to the required standard in just two days remains an open question. In any case, following Kairat's upcoming matches against Omonia, both the organizers and the club must clarify their plans.
Photo: video frame
J.Lo in Almaty
Notably, this is not the first time that holding a major concert at Almaty Central Stadium has raised questions.
In May of last year, after the announcement of a Jennifer Lopez concert as part of the "Up All Night" world tour, FC Kairat also issued an official statement. At that time, the club reported that the concert date—August 10—had not been approved, as a Kazakhstan Championship home match and European competition games were already scheduled for that period.
Later, the concert organizers, the management of FC Kairat, and the Almaty Sports Facilities Directorate were able to find a compromise. The parties agreed to reschedule the Kazakhstan Premier League match between Kairat and Zhenis to September 21, which allowed Jennifer Lopez's original concert date of August 10 to be maintained. At the time, organizers thanked the club and sports organizations for the constructive dialogue, noting that the decision balanced the interests of both football fans and concertgoers.