TIRANA: Albania’s government on Friday defended its payment of four million euros ($4.6 million) to support the upcoming performance by US rapper Kanye West in its capital, amid reports of weak ticket sales. Prime Minister Edi Rama is facing criticism from opposition figures and arts groups in the country after announcing the funding support for Saturday’s concert. The announcement comes as daily protests demanding Rama’s resignation, first sparked by a planned resort linked to US President Donald Trump’s family in the country’s south, spill into a second month.

Albania's prime minister has defended a decision to spend €4 million on a concert by US rapper Kanye West, as he sought to defuse anger over the event that has added heat to…

The concert, scheduled for July 11 just outside Tirana, will take place in a makeshift stadium constructed specifically for the event.