What REALLY goes on during Kanye West’s Sunday Services – and how YOU can attend

When Kanye West launched his ‘Sunday Services’ in early 2019, a slew of burning questions quickly emerged – was the rapper trying to start a new church? What exactly went on during the 60-minute-long weekly sessions? And why were so many of Hollywood’s most famous faces getting involved?

Initially, only those specifically invited could attend with everyone asked to sign an non-disclosure agreement – ensuring that they would keep whatever occurred at the service hidden from the outside world. 

The exclusivity and secrecy that shrouded the event – as well as the growing celebrity guest list – soon created a buzz and it left millions around the globe desperate for a chance to take a peak inside the mysterious event.

Despite the NDAs and extreme measures that Kanye, now 45, took to try to keep his services private – frequently changing the location to throw outsiders off the trail – details soon started to trickle onto the web.

From how you can attend to the many controversies that have plagued the event, here’s everything you need to know about Kanye’s $50 million-a-year Sunday Service

It turns out, Kanye’s Sunday Service is more similar to a concert than it is to a religious sermon. 

The weekly events usually consist of him and his hand-picked gospel choir performing ‘spiritual renditions’ of his biggest hits to an elite group of friends, family members, and fellow stars.

When pressed about the bizarre service, the musician later described it as simply a chance for people to ‘come together and to feel good,’ while his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, called it a ‘healing experience’ that’s less about ‘preaching’ and more about the ‘music.’

He once admitted to spending a whopping $50 million on the weekly services in one year – explaining that he used the money he had put aside to create advertisements for his Yeezy’s to instead cover the costs of the weekly event.

From the many controversies that have plagued the event to the numerous stars who have made appearances, here’s everything you need to know about Kanye’s $50 million-a-year Sunday Service.  

What REALLY goes on during Kanye’s weekly Sunday Service: Described as a chance to ‘uplift one another through music,’ the exclusive event is more like a ‘concert’ than a religious sermon

Kanye held his first Sunday Service on January 6, 2019 (seen), which involved the rapper performing ‘spiritual renditions’ of his biggest hits with a gospel choir

Only those who were invited could attend at first, and everyone who went was asked to sign an non-disclosure agreement

Kanye held his first Sunday Service on January 6, 2019, and for 60 minutes on every Sunday after that – up until it was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

He and his hand-picked gospel choir would perform ‘spiritual renditions’ of his biggest hits to an elite group of friends, family members, and fellow stars.

By March 2019, Variety described it as ‘the most prestigious, highly-coveted invitation among the greater music community in Los Angeles.’

During the first few months, the rapper held the services at various locations – including his home studio in Calabasas, a forest in Los Angeles, and the Adidas headquarters in Portland, Oregon – which he worked hard to keep confidential from those who weren’t on the selective guest list.

‘They don’t like to stay at the same place a lot, because people might figure where it is,’ explained an insider to GQ in April 2019.

Despite the NDAs and extreme measures that Kanye took to try to keep his services private at first, details soon started to trickle onto the web. 

The exclusivity and secrecy that shrouded the event – as well as the growing celebrity guest list – soon created a buzz in the media and on social media. Brad Pitt is seen at a Sunday Service

So what exactly goes on during Kanye’s Sunday Service? Well, it seems as though the event is more like a ‘concert’ than a religious sermon

Soon, members were sharing footage from it almost every Sunday to their Instagram Stories and Twitter accounts – which only brought even more attention to the hour-long weekly event.

So what exactly goes on during Kanye’s Sunday Service? Well, it seems as though the event is more like a ‘concert’ than a religious sermon.

Kanye’s music director Phillip Cornish explained to Jammcard in April 2019, ‘It’s a listening session driven by inspirational renditions of soulful songs intended to uplift one another through music.

Kanye’s music director Phillip Cornish explained to Jammcard in April 2019, ‘It’s a listening session driven by inspirational renditions of soulful songs intended to uplift one another through music’

‘People see it’s on Sunday morning. They think, “Oh, he’s starting a church.” But you can’t call it that.’

He explained that it was ‘supposed to be a one time thing,’ but that Kanye fell in love with the ‘pure energy’ during the first event, and soon decided to make it a weekly endeavor. 

‘After the first one, Ye sat there and took it all in and then I realized he’s doing this for himself. For his own personal reflection and inspiration,’ he continued. 

‘One week turned into two weeks, two turned into three, and then we created a movement. It’s pure energy and music from a sincere and genuine place.’

When asked about the event on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Kanye reiterated Philip’s comments, explaining, ‘It’s just an idea we had to open up our hearts to make music that we felt was as pure and as positive as possible and just do it for an hour every Sunday.

‘[We wanted to] have something where people can just come together and feel good with their families.’

His then-wife, Kim Kardashian, also told Elle in April 2019, ‘It’s honestly more like a healing experience for my husband. 

‘It’s just music, there’s no sermon. It’s definitely something he believes in – Jesus – and there’s a Christian vibe, but there’s no preaching. It’s just a very spiritual Christian experience.’

How YOU can get in: While only a select few are usually allowed to attend, Kanye does open it up to the public sometimes – but tickets are nearly impossible to obtain and can cost hundreds of dollars

In April 2019, the musician held his first public service on the Coachella campgrounds (seen), and allowed anyone who had tickets to the music festival to attend

Since then, he’s sporadically held public services in cities across the globe, including Chicago, Cody, Houston, Miami, and Dayton. Guests at his service in February 2020 are seen

While the event was impossible to get into without a personal connection to Kanye at first, it was opened up to the public for the first time in April 2019, when the musician held a service on the Coachella campgrounds and allowed anyone who had tickets to the music festival to attend.

Since then, he’s sporadically held public services in cities across the globe, including Chicago, Illinois, Cody, Wyoming, Houston, Texas, Miami, Florida, and Dayton, Ohio.

It seems as though tickets to most of the public services have been free and were obtained on a first come first serve basis – but thanks to the immense demand surrounding the event, they are usually nearly impossible to obtain.

According to local news outlet KHOU 11, tickets to his Sunday Service in Houston in November 2019 were completely sold out within minutes.

The outlet even reported that in the days leading up to the event, the free tickets were being resold online for upwards of $500.

Tickets to most of the public services have been free, but it was reported in November 2019 that the free tickets to his service in Houston were being resold online for $100s

In September 2020, Kanye revealed that he had invested $50 million into his Sunday Service throughout 2019

In late 2019, reports emerged that claimed Kanye was planning to go an international tour, which would see him performing his Sunday Services all around the globe to the public, however, it never actually happened – likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September 2020, Kanye revealed that he had invested $50 million into his Sunday Service throughout 2019.

He told Nick Cannon on his podcast Cannon’s Class that he put all the money that he had set aside to promote his Yeezy’s into growing the ‘church’ instead.

‘I spent every dime that I have for marketing from Yeezy on Sunday Service. Every dollar I had,’ he said.

‘I spent $50 million last year on Sunday Service if you add up the operas, if you add up the flights. It was 120 people going to [around the world].

‘The Yeezys, they were selling themselves. So instead of paying for ads, I invested it in the church. I invested in spreading gospel. I invested in saying Jesus’ name on high.’ 

Gospel service or mock fashion show? Kanye set a strict dress code for members and provided them with free clothes – and Yeezys – to ensure they all looked up to his standard

The weekly event has tbeen attended by a slew of famous faces, including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry (left), Busy Phillips, Idris Elba, Gayle King, Bradley Cooper, and Lil Nas X (right)

While Kanye insisted at first that his Sunday Services were purely about the ‘music,’ they have certainly become much more than that over the years.

The weekly event has transformed into a somewhat of a celebrity cult, attended by a slew of famous faces, including Justin Bieber, Brad Pitt, Katy Perry, Busy Phillips, Idris Elba, Dave Chappelle, Gayle King, Patrick Toussaint, Bradley Cooper, Jaden Smith, Rick Rubin, Courtney Love, Kid Cudi, A$AP Rocky, Lil Nas X, Daniel Caesar, Chance the Rapper, Orlando Bloom, Diplo, Benny Blanco, Marilyn Manson, and Lil Dicky, to name a few. 

It has also doubled down as a mock fashion show in recent months, as Kanye has been spotted attending the Sunday Services in a series of bizarre and over-the-top outfits as of late.

Last weekend, for example, the fashion designer was photographed arriving in a black T-shirt with a pair of shoulder pads – the kind that football players to protect themselves on the field – while his kids were seen entering in creepy, Handmaid’s Tale-style white robes. 

It has also doubled down as a mock fashion show in recent months, as Kanye has been spotted attending the Sunday Services in a series of bizarre and over-the-top outfits as of late

GQ reported a few months after it began that Kanye had issued a ‘dress code’ for his gospel choir, and that he would even provide free clothes – and Yeezys – to members

He was also joined by his new ‘wife’ Bianca Censori, who donned a strange black dress with an enormous piece of fabric that wrapped around her neck and pantyhose over her face.

Kanye, who has been very vocal about his love of fashion and has become well known for pushing boundaries when it comes to his choices of clothing, made it clear that what was worn at his Sunday Services was vital from the start.

GQ reported a few months after it began that Kanye had issued a ‘dress code’ for his gospel choir, and that he would even provide free clothes – and Yeezys – to members to ensure they looked the part.

‘All of the choir members wear a uniform … usually a garment that’s a merging between a t-shirt and a choir robe, plus Yeezy sneakers and trouser,’ the outlet said.

‘They’re given the clothing and shoes for free either a few days before or the day of. The outfit is usually white, but [Kanye] pulls from the full Yeezy palette – he’s also done buttery beige, graphite, and black.’

Plagued by controversy: Kanye’s Sunday Service has faced a slew of scandals, receiving backlash over sky-high priced merch and lawsuits that alleged he ‘mistreated and failed to pay’ workers

When it first went public at Coachella, the rapper was slammed online for selling sky-high priced merchandise at the service

Items ranged from $50 for a pair of socks that said ‘Jesus’ on them to $225 for a sweater that had the words ‘Holy spirit’ written across the front 

It should come as no shock that scandal-ridden Kanye’s Sunday Service has faced a slew of controversies since it began in 2019.

The star’s Sunday Service also came into the hot seat in January 2021, when it was revealed that multiple class-actions lawsuits had been filed against Kanye, which alleged that he ‘mistreated and failed to pay up to 1,000 workers’ during his one of his shows in November 2019

When it first went public at Coachella, the rapper was slammed online for selling sky-high priced merchandise at the service.

Items ranged from $50 for a pair of socks that said ‘Jesus’ on them to $225 for a sweater that had the words ‘Holy spirit’ written across the front – and many were left outraged over the immense costs.

The star’s Sunday Service also came into the hot seat in January 2021, when it was revealed that multiple class-actions lawsuits had been filed against Kanye, totaling up to $30 million in damages, which alleged that he ‘mistreated and failed to pay up to 1,000 workers’ during his one of his shows in November 2019.

Hundreds of performers and crew claimed he didn’t grant them ‘adequate breaks,’ overtime wages, or ‘acceptable working conditions’ in the suits. Kanye’s choir is seen at Coachella

It was reported that one of the lawsuits was dismissed, and the other was in ‘settlement talks’ as of March 2023

Hundreds of performers and backstage crew – including hair stylists, make-up artists, and costume designers – claimed that Kanye didn’t grant them ‘adequate breaks,’ overtime wages, or ‘acceptable working conditions’ in the suits. 

It was reported that one of the lawsuits was dismissed, and the other was in ‘settlement talks’ as of March 2023.

He was also sued for $20 million by the company MyChannel Inc. in 2021, who claimed he had used video content that it had created during his Sunday Service show, without paying. In the end, both parties agreed to a joint stipulation of dismissal.