Travis Scott faces potential cancellation of his planned performance at the Pyramids of Giza after Egypt’s Musicians’ Syndicate revoked a permit for the concert.
Travis Scott’s planned concert at the Pyramids of Giza for the release of his forthcoming album Utopia is facing pushback from Egypt’s Musicians’ Syndicate, which is revoking a permit for the July 28 performance as it “contradict(s) the identity of the Egyptian culture.” Still, Live Nation says that the show will not be canceled.
It remains to be seen if the syndicate has the official authority to cancel Scott’s performance, as a statement from promoter Live Nation said: “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!”
According to an English version of Egypt’s government-owned newspaper, Al-Ahram, the syndicate claimed that Scott’s concerts involve “strange rituals” and that it remains “committed to preserving the security and stability of our beloved homeland and rejects any actions that go against its societal values.”
The outlet reports that the syndicate’s opposition stems from the 2021 crowd-crush incident at Astroworld that left ten attendees dead. The rapper announced his Egyptian concert shortly after a Texas grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges.
The musicians’ syndicate banned Lebanese indie band Mashrou’ Leila from performing in Egypt after a crowd member unveiled a rainbow flag during the band’s Cairo performance in 2017.
In October last year, the syndicate also issued a temporary ban on a genre of music, mahraganat, also known as “working-class rap,” due to its roots in the country’s 2011 revolution. That ban included suspending permits issued to mahraganat singers under the guise of investigating bribery allegations. The decision coincided with Egyptian singer Mostafa Kamel becoming the newly elected head of the syndicate, following Hany Shaker.
“The temporary suspension of Mahraganat singers will remain in effect until a discussion is conducted between the board, music, and cultural icons to study the phenomenon and to define regulating criteria,” said Kamel.
His predecessor Shaker led multiple campaigns against what he deemed an “unacceptable” genre, issuing a February 2020 ban on mahraganat performers in clubs, cafes, hotels, and concert venues.