TIRANA, July 12 (BV) – Kanye West thanked Albania and Prime Minister Edi Rama after performing before tens of thousands of people in Tirana, as the government defended its financial support for the concert and promoted the event as a major boost for tourism and the country’s international image.
“Thank you Edi Rama and all of Albania for building a stadium and welcoming me to your beautiful country,” West wrote on social media a day after the July 11 performance at the temporary Eagle Stadium in Kashar.
Organisers and government-linked media said the concert attracted fans from around 80 countries, although estimates of attendance varied between about 40,000 and 60,000 people.
Rama said the event had generated global publicity for Albania and argued that its economic impact should be measured not only through ticket sales but also through hotel stays, restaurant spending, air travel, transport and international media exposure.
The government allocated about 4.2 million euros from a reserve fund to support the concert after initially saying that no public money would be used. Rama said the intervention was necessary to prevent the event from collapsing after thousands of foreign visitors had already bought tickets and made travel arrangements.
The funding decision triggered criticism from opposition figures, civil society groups and citizens who questioned whether public money, including funds reserved for emergencies, should have been used to support a commercial entertainment event.
Critics also pointed to West’s history of antisemitic statements and previous cancellations or entry restrictions in several countries.
West has been barred from entering Britain and Australia, while planned performances in Poland and elsewhere were cancelled following controversy over his public statements and music.
Supporters of the Tirana concert said the event could help Albania enter the growing market for international event tourism, following examples set by Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates.
Economist Fatos Çoçoli said the concert could strengthen Tirana’s reputation among international promoters and create broader economic benefits for airlines, hotels, restaurants, taxi companies and rental-car operators.
He said a successful large-scale concert could offer Albania global publicity worth far more than a conventional tourism advertising campaign.
Analyst Martin Leka similarly described the event as a “bonus” for Albania, saying foreign visitors and international attention had benefited tourism and the country’s image.
The concert took place while anti-government protesters were gathering outside the prime minister’s office for the 42nd consecutive day of demonstrations.
Leka said the concert had overshadowed the protest and argued that the opposition movement had lost its political identity.
The protest movement, however, has accused Rama’s government of using the event to divert attention from public anger over governance, corruption and a controversial coastal development linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rama rejected the criticism, saying political opponents had tried to damage an event that brought economic activity and international exposure to Albania.
The government has not published a detailed independent assessment of the concert’s total economic impact, the number of foreign attendees or the amount collected through taxes and local spending.
Tourism operators said the event increased demand for accommodation, flights and transport, but economists cautioned that the long-term value would depend on whether Albania can attract similar events regularly rather than relying on a single high-profile concert.
The dispute has turned the concert into a wider political debate over public spending, national promotion and whether global entertainment events can deliver measurable economic returns.
For Albania, the show provided international attention and demonstrated that Tirana can host a major performance. Whether that exposure justifies the public cost remains the central unanswered question.