The Albanian government has defended its decision to allocate more than 4 million euros to host a Kanye West concert in Tirana, drawing scrutiny as daily protests demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The demonstration movement, now in its second month, also targets a resort project linked to Jared Kushner.
The show, scheduled for Saturday, faces weak demand: organisers expected 60,000 attendees, but only about 25,000 tickets have been sold, prompting offers of free admission. A temporary venue built for the event cost roughly 2.2 million euros.
The controversy is compounded by the artist's history of antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks, which have led multiple countries to cancel his performances. The government maintains the subsidy is justified by the expected tourism boost.