You can't cancel us: at least 20 concerts of foreign stars will be held in Russia in 2026

American rapper Xzibit, rock band from Los Angeles Hollywood Undead, singer of the hit Gelato al cioccolato — Italian Pupo, Turkish actor and singer Emre Altug, especially known for the TV series "Kingfisher" and the song Bu Kadar Mı, bands from South Korea and other foreign artists plan to come to Russia with concerts. By the end of 2026, local organizers will announce dozens of shows, including stadium—level ones. Some negotiations for next season have already been completed. Izvestia is about what the concert calendar will be like and how the industry is changing in the country in the context of the still difficult geopolitics.

"We are negotiating for several stadium shows"

Jason Derulo's Moscow concert began with a remix of "Mother". American rapper DaBaby confessed his love to the local audience during his show, wearing a tricolor earflap, and Lil Pump was so imbued with the Russian spirit that he didn't want to leave at all. After the performance, he recorded the song "Cuckoo" with our artist Margot and even took part in several shows. The concert calendar for 2025 has clearly demonstrated that the loyalty of foreign stars towards Russia is growing. Akon, Timbaland, Xzibit — and this is not the whole list of those who also performed on our stage.

— You asked why I'm going to Russia? Because they (the fans. — Ed.) I like this damn music! — Xzibit was surprised to comment on his visit to Moscow in September, as if there were no reasons that could prevent this.

The star of "Cars for Pumping" is already preparing to return — on December 3, 2025, Xzibit will perform in Moscow, and on December 4 — in St. Petersburg.

— We contacted the Exibit management back in the summer. Next year, we plan to bring significantly more stars from abroad - we think it will be about six to eight concerts. In particular, we are negotiating several stadium shows. Negotiations with rap artists are easier than with stars of other genres — they are not so politicized and included in the news agenda. We are cautiously optimistic about the tours of foreign performers. After all, Russia is a big market, and no one wants to give it up for nothing. At the same time, there are understandable difficulties related to the geopolitical situation and the pressure of public opinion on media figures in the West," Nadezhda Solovyova, head of ARTLIFE, SAV Entertainment, told Izvestia.

Not only Americans, but also Europeans are not afraid to destroy the cultural barrier. Italian singer Pupo, widely known today for the popular 1980s hit Gelato al cioccolato, returns to Russia time after time, even despite the recent scandal that broke out in his homeland. Compatriots were outraged by the artist's statement in an interview with Izvestia that he would have asked for our citizenship if the Italian authorities had closed his way to the Russian Federation. His next concert in Russia is in December of this year.

"We plan to hold 20-30 concerts"

The numbers speak about warming. In March 2025, Anna Subcheva, CEO and founder of the Say Agency concert agency, which had previously organized the American DaBaby concert in Moscow, promised to announce at least 10 more names by the end of the year. There are more plans for the next season.

— We will be working on existing projects by the end of the year. Next year we plan to hold 20-30 concerts in genres from pop to rock, not forgetting our favorite rap," she now told Izvestia.

All this, the promoters say, did not happen only in 2025, but was the result of long and hard work to build trusting relationships.

— The artists see how they are accepted here. They're all a little afraid of something at first, worried, and then no one wants to go home. They have such a dissonance in their head — they are being told one thing on television, but something completely different is happening here. The kind of dedication and love they receive from Russian fans cannot be compared to any in the world," Igor Logachev from Force Events, who collaborates with American rappers, assures Izvestia.

Many of those who came to Russia this year with concerts, he says, have already made arrangements for next year.

— There will be an Akon tour again, we will most likely touch on Siberia, now it is planned, it will be Moscow, maybe Sochi again. 2026 will be a very fruitful year for us. There are negotiations with very big artists that have already been completed," he said.

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"He gets requests for a concert almost every day from Russia"

Turkish stars, whose fans are distinguished by their special devotion, are well aware of how Russian fans can receive. In 2025, to see Burak Ozchivit, Hande Ercel, Barysh Arduc, Jan Yaman, they came to Moscow from different cities of the country, brought gifts, guarded with posters at the doors of hotels.

The concerts of the star of one of the main hits of the tourdizi series "Kingfisher" are ahead. Emre Altug, who played the role of Orhan Korhan there, is also known as a singer. His most popular song in Russia is Bu Kadar Mı, which was released in the early 2000s and returned to the top in the wake of the success of the series.

—Emre is an artist who unites generations, and it was important for us to give the Russian public the opportunity to see him perform live with an orchestra and feel the energy for which he is so appreciated in Turkey and beyond," Lala Fuzuli, founder of the Turkish Events project, told Izvestia. — He took this idea with great interest. Emre admitted that he receives offers and requests for a concert from Russia almost every day, so my invitation was a confirmation that the time had really come. He really wanted to come with a live concert program, because he knows perfectly well how he is expected here. His performances in Turkey are often attended by whole groups of Russian tourists, and this love is felt even from a distance.

The concerts will take place in a month — on November 15 in Moscow, on November 17 in Kazan and on November 19 in St. Petersburg. The team, Lala Fuzuli shared, is already making plans for next year.

— Turkish stars have always been open to Russia as a friendly country and were happy to come with concerts. In 2025, we started talking about it more. This is, of course, due to the global success of Turkish TV series — they have made the artists even closer and more understandable to the Russian audience, and interest in live performances has grown naturally," she added.

Industry representatives note the good concert infrastructure, equipment and logistics solutions in Russia.

— By the end of the year, we plan to hold three shows of the metalcore band As I Lay Dying from the USA in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg. In March 2026, we will have four Kings Of Thrash shows — in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Moscow and St. Petersburg. These are the legendary Megadeth musicians from the classic line-up, who play all their classics on the tour under a new brand. They are also artists from the USA," the GET Live press service told Izvestia.

Another concert agency, Melnitsa— recently announced the May concerts of the Los Angeles rock band Hollywood Undead in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

K-pop representatives also have Russia on their tour schedule. In November 2025, South Korean bands DKB, EVERGLOW, 8TURN and The Last Live will perform at the two-day VKontakte Fandom Fest. In 2026, they will be greeted by their compatriots W24, who are already familiar to our public. In January, a male k-pop band will travel to the cities of our vast country on a tour with the patriotic name "Grass at Home".