Kanye West performs live solo for the first time in three years

Kanye West staged a rare live performance this past Saturday (October 16th) at a wedding in Italy.

The performance took place at the wedding reception for D’Estree founder Geraldine Guiotte and Tiffany & Co executive vice president Alexander Arnault. The Venice-set wedding saw a number of other celebrities in attendance; including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Questlove and Pharrell Williams.

The private show marks the first time in three years that Kanye West has taken the stage as a solo artist, as he has only performed live as a part of his gospel choir Sunday Service Choir since the release of his Christian hip-hop album Jesus is King in 2019. The group released their debut album Jesus is Born on Christmas day of the same year.

The Atlanta-born rapper took the sage while donning a custom Balenciaga mask - the clothing company often collaborating with West, most recently having released the merch for his latest LP Donda. He performed fan favourite tracks such as 'Runaway' and 'Flashing Lights', as well as the more recent 'Believe What I Say.'

While there was no official camera crew to capture the performance, a number of fan recordings have found their way onto the internet.

Kanye performing "Flashing Lights" last night at Alexandre Arnault and Geralde Guyot’s wedding in Venice. (10.16.21) pic.twitter.com/AriRIBgnwA

— Ye Media (@KanyeMedia_) October 17, 2021

Kanye performing "Runaway" last night at Alexandre Arnault and Geralde Guyot’s wedding in Venice. (10.16.21) pic.twitter.com/4WwxHsBEX1

— Ye Media (@KanyeMedia_) October 17, 2021

West released his 10th studio album Donda earlier this year in August, reaching number one in the charts - as well as stirring up a bit of controversy with his record label. The artist also made the headlines earlier in the same month as he began the process to legally change his name to Ye.