Kanye West has brought the Donda listening experience to his hometown of Chicago.
The multi-hyphenate is taking over Soldier Field stadium tonight to host a third public listening session for his much-anticipated album. ‘Ye presented two similar events at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta over the past month, giving fans around the world a preview of his oft-delayed project.
Kanye’s team announced the Chicago installment earlier this month on social media, and reassured the public the album would finally arrive after. The star-studded effort was initially expected to arrive back in July, but experienced a number of pushbacks following each listening event; the first of which was a private gathering in Las Vegas in mid-July.
Shortly after the Chicago event was confirmed, it surfaced that ‘Ye had plans to rebuild his childhood home inside Solider Field. Kanye posted a photo of the 1,600-square-foot house on his official Instagram account. His late mother, Donda, reportedly sold the residence for $121,000 in 2003.
A day before the Chicago event, a Soldier Field spokesperson told TMZ that attendees won’t be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test or a COVID-19 vaccination; however, the venue reportedly secured a total of 1,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines for those who wish to receive them on site. It’s also reported that only 38,000 people will be allowed into the stadium, which has a capacity of about 63,000. Masks will also be optional.
“Kanye West’s performance is one of many examples that show that Chicago can be open and safe at the same time,” Chicago Park District spokesperson Michele Lemons said in a statement. “We have worked with Soldier Field on COVID-19 safety protocols, as we have other venues including Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate Fields, and feel this event can be safely held with the proper mitigation efforts in place.”
You can livestream Kanye’s Donda listening event via Apple Music. Stay tuned as more details about the album become available.
