The artist formerly known as Kanye West is staging a pair of performances in Chicago, marking a Bully-era homecoming for the 24-time Grammy winner.
The shows are slated for Sept. 3 and Sept. 4 at Soldier Field, a 63,500-capacity stadium that serves as the home base for the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire Football Club. Ticket information for the Chicago dates, as well as for a newly announced show in San Antonio in July, is available on Ye’s official tour site.
Though born in Atlanta, Ye was raised in Chicago, with the city featuring prominently in the larger narrative of his work. During the 2021 rollout for Donda, named after his late mother, a replica of his childhood home was constructed inside Soldier Field. Meanwhile, “Homecoming,” a Graduation single featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin on the hook, serves as a love letter to the Illinois city.
Bully, given an official release in March alongside a Bianca Censori-directed video for the track “Father,” was preceded at the top of the year by a lengthy statement from Ye in the form of a full-page Wall Street Journal ad. In it, Ye, who turned 49 this month, spoke at length about his struggles with bipolar disorder, as well as zeroed in on what he described as his gravitation toward “the most destructive symbol” he could find during a particularly “fractured” period.
“One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments—many of which I still cannot recall—that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience,” he said at the time. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
In light of this statement, and a follow-up, Ye has staged multiple live performances, including in the States and elsewhere. However, he’s faced extensive pushback in certain regions. A planned three-night headlining stint at London’s Wireless Festival, for example, was ultimately called off.
