Travis Scott concert at Egypt's pyramids has not been cancelled despite reported backlash
American rapper Travis Scott’s concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt has not been cancelled as reported in Egyptian media and will go ahead as scheduled.
According to reports on Tuesday, Egypt’s musicians’ syndicate, which is responsible for approving and issuing permits for concerts, said it was revoking a permit for the 28 July concert because it contradicted “the identity of the Egyptian culture”.
But as per a statement by promoter Live Nation, the show will go on, Rolling Stone reported on Tuesday.
“There have been no changes to Travis Scott’s show in Egypt; any reports to the contrary are false. We can’t wait to celebrate Utopia with you in Egypt!” Live Nation said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the musicians' syndicate said it had “welcomed various art forms and concerts in recent months”, but had “set conditions and regulations to safeguard the customs and traditions inherited” by Egyptians.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
It also added that it examined social media opinions as well as news reports about “authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals” performed by Scott during the performances.
According to the syndicate, this was in opposition to “our authentic societal values and traditions”.
In a study last year by the Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Innovation, researchers discovered symbols of Satanism which appeared during the Travis Scott Astroworld Festival in 2021, based on the results of images analysed at the Houston, Texas, concert.
Large symbols such as inverted crosses, circles, and the all-seeing eye “reinforce the representation of symbols and shapes at this concert,” the study said.
In 2021, 10 people were killed and hundreds were injured during a crowd surge at Scott’s Astroworld festival, leading him to legal trouble.
Last month, a Houston grand jury concluded that Scott, along with various staff and event coordinators, would not be subjected to criminal prosecution.
Global music icons frequently stage performances at the base of Egypt's renowned pyramids, located close to Cairo. Mariah Carey held a concert there in 2010, and Maroon 5 played there just last year, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime performance”.
In February, US comedian Kevin Hart's debut show in Egypt was cancelled, following an outpouring of anger in the country over his past comments in support of Afrocentrism.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
