ISTANBUL: Rapper and producer Kanye West performed before a crowd of 118,000 people at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Saturday, marking his first-ever concert in Turkiye.
According to Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the artist, who is now widely known as Ye, delivered a two-hour set at the stadium on May 30, drawing fans from across Turkiye and abroad.
The concert represented a significant milestone in Ye’s return to the European live music circuit after years of controversy and a series of cancelled performances across the continent.
Record crowd claim
During the show, Ye told the audience that the event had broken attendance records.
“I just want to tell y’all, we just broke the record, 118,000, largest stadium performance of all time,” he said, according to Turkiye Today.
Organisers said fans travelled from numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and the United States, as well as several countries across the Middle East.
According to reports, stadium gates opened six hours before the concert to accommodate the expected crowds.
Metro stations and transport corridors across Istanbul became heavily congested as fans made their way to the venue.
Spectacle at Ataturk Olympic Stadium
The performance featured an elaborate production setup, including a large spherical stage, extensive lighting displays, laser effects, smoke installations and large-scale visual projections.
According to TRT World, the concert opened with “Father” and included performances of some of Ye’s best-known tracks, including “King”, Runaway, Power, Flashing Lights, Heartless, Black Skinhead, “All The Love” and Homecoming before concluding with Stronger.
The event reportedly evolved into a festival-style gathering featuring DJ sets, laser shows, pre- and post-concert activities and performances by Turkish artists including Yener Cevik, Mavi, Sena Sener, Pera and Motive.
Reports also said that Travis Scott made a surprise appearance during the concert.
The performance was livestreamed on YouTube, allowing fans around the world to watch the event.
