Travis Scott’s upcoming fourth studio album, Utopia, has the world talking, as it’s his first full-length album in five years. It’s also his first since the Astroworld Festival tragedy of 2021. Scott plans to make his comeback in Egypt, where he would perform Utopia in full at the Giza pyramids.
There were reports, though, that the event would not go on as planned due to cultural concerns from the Egyptian Musicians’ Syndicate. However, Live Nation now says that is untrue, telling Pitchfork, “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!”
The Egyptian Musicians’ Syndicate issued a statement this morning (July 18) noting that portions of Scott’s performances may not fall in line with traditional Egyptian and Arab customs, and they will therefore not grant Scott the necessary permits for the show. That said, it’s not clear if the group actually has the authority to cancel the performance.
You can read the full statement from Dr. Mohamed Abdullah, an official spokesman of the Musicians’ Syndicate, below (via Egypt Today).
“Regarding the concert scheduled to be held on 28th July at the Pyramids area in Giza by American rapper Travis Scott, the Musicians’ Syndicate, as the entity responsible for issuing licenses for music and singing concerts in Egypt, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture represented by the Censorship Authority for Artistic Works and the Ministry of Labor, emphasizes the necessity of considering security aspects and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities as a top priority when organizing concerts. This is to ensure the safety and protection of the audience.
While the Musicians’ Syndicate has welcomed various art forms and concerts in recent months, it has set conditions and regulations to safeguard the customs and traditions inherited by the Egyptian people.
As the Musicians’ Syndicate is part of the fabric of our beloved country, it works towards its stability and security and rejects any tampering with the societal values, customs, and traditions of Egypt and the Arab world. After examining social media opinions and feedback, as well as the news circulating on search engines and social media platforms, which included authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals performed by the star during his performance, contradicting our authentic societal values and traditions, the Syndicate’s president and board of directors have decided to cancel the license issued for hosting this type of concert, which goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.”
Utopia is out 7/28 via Epic. Find more information here.