Update, July 26, 12:30 p.m.: This time, it’s for real. Travis Scott’s performance at the Pyramids of Giza is officially a no-go, Live Nation confirmed with a statement. “Unfortunately, despite highest efforts, complex production issues meant that the show could not be constructed in the desert,†the promoter said, just days before the performance was set for July 28, the day Scott will release his new album, Utopia. Live Nation’s statement makes no mention of reports that the Egyptian government canceled the performance over political concerns with Scott. Vulture has reached out to Scott’s team for comment.
Update, July 18, 3 p.m.: Live Nation now says Travis Scott’s performance at the Pyramids of Giza is still happening despite reports that the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate was canceling it. “There have been no changes to Travis Scott’s show in Egypt; any reports to the contrary are false,†Live Nation said in a statement provided by Scott’s representative. Vulture has reached out to Egypt’s Ministry of Culture. Travis Scott’s planned performance at the Pyramids of Giza apparently gave Egypt some goosebumps. The country’s General Syndicate for Musical Professions will reportedly no longer allow Scott to perform at the site, according to Egyptian outlets. In a translated statement from Egypt Today, Dr. Mohamed Abdullah cited concern over “peculiar rituals†at Scott’s concerts, further saying the show “goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.†While the statement didn’t specify the rituals, some publications cited concerns over Satanism following a debunked theory about Scott’s Astroworld tragedy. Vulture has reached out to Travis Scott for comment.
The original story follows.
Travis Scott is finally unveiling his Utopia with quite the background to match. The rapper will livestream a performance of his long-teased new album at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on July 28. A press release touted “an unforgettable show that will immerse fans in the world of Utopia.†Scott has been readying the album for years, but it got heavily delayed after the crowd-crush tragedy at his Astroworld Festival in 2021, which left ten people dead. Since then, Scott has inched his way back to performing live with a series of festival sets and nightclub performances. The Egypt announcement comes just days after news that he won’t face criminal charges over Astroworld, yet civil litigation against Scott remains ongoing. He does realize he’ll be doing his big promotional show in front of massive tombs, right?