Kanye West concert brings nearly 5 billion tenge to Almaty’s economy
Organizers have released the results of Kanye West’s (Ye) first solo concert in Central Asia, held on August 15 at Almaty’s Central Stadium, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Kanye West’s concert in Almaty drew 31,000 people, generating an estimated 5 billion tenge in economic impact from the tourist influx, according to organizers.
About 7,700 visitors came to Almaty from more than 50 countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Around 2,000 of the international visitors were fans attending several concerts on his world tour.
The concert had initially been scheduled for August 14 but was postponed by one day due to a sharp deterioration in weather conditions.
The event also boosted demand for accommodation in the city. From August 13 to 16, the average occupancy rate of accommodation facilities in Almaty reached about 98%.
“Hosting Kanye West’s concert became one of the major events of the year for Almaty’s event tourism. From August 13 to 16, demand for accommodation services in Almaty increased, with the average occupancy rate reaching around 98%. This clearly demonstrates the impact of major international events on the city’s tourism activity,” said Galiya Toxeitova, Head of Almaty’s Tourism Department.
Preparations for the concert took just one month, while the spherical structure used for the show was assembled in five days. Equipment for the artist’s international team was delivered by one cargo aircraft and seven European trucks. Additional equipment was brought from Almaty, Astana and Moscow.
“The past few days have been a real test of endurance for the entire team. After the postponement, we essentially had to prepare the venue for the show for a second time within 24 hours. Now we know for sure that our team is ready to hold concerts of this scale in Almaty, even two days in a row,” said concert organizer Alfiya Nurgumarova.
More than 4,400 people worked at the venue on the day of the concert, including security personnel, police, city services, technical and production crews, medical teams, stadium staff, ticketing and service personnel.
Dismantling began immediately after the show. The main work at Central Stadium has been completed, with the remaining equipment being removed and final technical work underway.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that American rapper Kanye West will perform at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg on October 10 and 11.
