Highlighting the Top 5 Moments from Kanye West’s Epic Performance in Haikou, China

On the evening of September 15, Kanye West delivered an electrifying live performance to a sold-out crowd in Haikou, located in Hainan Province, South China. This concert marked the beginning of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations on the tropical island.

The concert was announced late last month as part of Kanye’s ongoing Vultures world tour, where he collaborates with Ty Dolla $ign and other featured artists, bringing their collaborative album to major cities across North America, the UK, Europe, and Asia.

According to various media reports, the decision to permit Ye to perform in China was a point of extensive discussion, especially considering his controversial history, notably his antisemitic remarks from last year.

Social media users swiftly voiced concerns regarding Ye’s past public statements and his association with Donald Trump, arguing that his performance should have been prohibited in China.

Key Highlights and Memorable Moments from Kanye West’s Concert in Haikou

Per China Daily, the concert attracted over 42,000 attendees and took place at Haikou Wuyuanhe Stadium. This event was initially revealed in late August after a previously scheduled concert in Taiwan was canceled.

Several government officials highlighted how performances by artists like Kanye West are quite “rare,”given Ye’s persona, which contrasts sharply with China’s stringent conservative standards.

Michael Zhou, founder of Jingjian, shared in an interview with CNBC that West’s concert in Haikou aligned with Hainan’s ambitions to enhance Chinese tourism and establish itself as an international travel hub. Reports also indicated that taxi drivers in the city were encouraged to play “only Ye’s music.”

Here are some standout moments from the concert, where Kanye performed an extensive setlist that included unreleased tracks from his illustrious career.

1) Kanye West Rocks a 74-song Setlist

Kanye West performing at the Haikou concert (Image via X/@yefanatics)

Kanye West took the audience on a musical journey from his album Graduation to Vultures, delivering numerous fan favorites from his decade-long discography. The concert also featured performances with North West and Ty Dolla $ign.

The complete setlist from Ye’s Haikou concert included:

FRIED
STARS
PAID
TALKING
EVERYBODY
BACK TO ME
DO IT
HOODRAT
BURN
FUK SUMN (REMIX)
SLIDE
TIME MOVING SLOW
FIELD TRIP
PROMOTION
530
DEAD
BOMB REMIX (Feat. Yuno Miles)
RIVER
CITY IN THE WeY
NEW BODY
A THOUSAND MILES (Feat. Yuno Miles x Ty Dolla $ign)
CARNIVAL
Can’t Tell Me Nothing
POWER
All Of The Lights
Runaway
Mercy
Niggas In Paris
Don’t Like.1
Click
Birthday Song
Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1
Blood On The Leaves
Off The Grid
Cold
All Day
Praise God
Freestyle 4 (seconds)
Keep It Burning
All Mine
Yikes
Jesus Walks
Otis
Touch The Sky
All Falls Down
Good Life
Flashing Lights
Heartless
Homecoming
Bound 2
No Church In The Wild
City Of Gods
FourFiveSeconds
Run This Town – Jay Z (Feat. Kanye West)
Hurricane
Diamonds
Remote Control
Waves
Jail
Ghost Town
Famous
Ultralight Beam
I Wonder
Lollipop (Remix)
Monster
Sunday Service song
Black Skinhead
On Sight
I Am A God
Feel The Love
CAN U BE (Feat. Travis Scott x Ty Dolla $ign)
Fade
Love Lockd
Preacher Man

2) Viral Moment: Fan Proposes During ‘Bound 2’

A fan account (@yefanatics) shared a memorable moment from Kanye’s Haikou concert when a man proposed to his partner while Ye performed the beloved track Bound 2 from his 2013 album Yeezus.

“A fan proposed while playing <Bound 2>”- the caption read.

3) Collaborative Performance of ‘Everybody’

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign performing 'Everybody' with his children (Image via X/@yefanatics) — Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign performing ‘Everybody’ alongside North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, at the Haikou concert (Image via X/@yefanatics)

During the performance of his unreleased song ‘Everybody’ from Vultures, Kanye brought all four of his children—North West, Saint West, Chicago West, and Psalm West—on stage to dance and share the moment with him and Ty Dolla $ign. This performance quickly gained attention on social media due to its rumored unlicensed sample from Backstreet Boys’ iconic hit ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).’

4) Exciting Preview of Upcoming Solo Album

Kanye performing at the Haikou event (Image via X/@yefanatics) — Kanye performing at the Haikou concert (Image via X/@yefanatics)

As the concert drew to a close, Kanye previewed an unreleased track titled ‘PREACHER,’ which is expected to feature on his upcoming solo album. He also confirmed this during the performance by stating:

“This song is off my next project”

5) Crowd Chants “F–K Adidas”

Approximately two hours into the concert, after performing ‘Touch The Sky,’ the crowd erupted with chants of “F–k Adidas,”showing their support for Kanye after the brand severed ties with him last year over his antisemitic remarks.

Reports indicate that more than 90% of tickets for Kanye’s Haikou concert sold out rapidly, with significant sales from outside the Hainan province, particularly from cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Beijing, and Chengdu.

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