Travis Scott’s upcoming Utopia concert at the Pyramids of Giza will reportedly go ahead as planned despite reports claiming it had been axed.
According to Rolling Stone, Live Nation released a brief statement on Tuesday (July 18) confirming the performance will still take place at the sacred location on July 28.
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“There have been no changes to Travis Scott’s show in Egypt,” Live Nation said. “Any reports to the contrary are false. We can’t wait to celebrate Utopia with you in Egypt!”
The update comes after the Egyptian General Syndicate for Musical Professions, a group responsible for approving and issuing permits for concerts, reportedly revoked the permit for the Houston rapper’s show.
In a statement, the Syndicate cited safety concerns and Scott’s “strange rituals,” which they claimed go against the country’s cultural identity and traditions.
“Since the General Syndicate is part of the fabric of this beloved country it is keen on its stability and refuses to tamper with societal values and Egyptian and Arab customs,” the statement read.
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“Based on research and documented information about strange rituals at Travis’s concerts that are inconsistent with our authentic societal values and traditions, the Board of Directors has decided to cancel the license issued to hold this type of concert that contradicts the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.”
Travis Scott first announced the concert on July 9, revealing he will be unveiling his eagerly anticipated Utopia album in front of the Pyramids of Giza. The project will mark his first full-length offering in five years following 2018’s Astroworld.
Tickets for the event have since sold out, although fans will still be able to watch it via a live stream. “Utopia is wherever you are,” a poster for the concert read on the rapper’s Instagram page at the time.
Utopia is available to pre-order on Scott’s website and comes in various bundles that include T-shirts, hoodies and hats. There are also five different cover art variants to accompany the packages.
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While further details remain scarce, Travis Scott spoke about Utopia during an interview with PIN-UP Magazine in May, offering insight into how the album was made and the meaning behind its title.
“I made most of my new album on an MPC,” he explained. “I got new ones; I got some old ones. My favorite is the 2000XL. It produces a very distinctive sound that makes it feel alive.”
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He added: “Utopia is something that people feel is so far-fetched and out of reach, some perfect state of mind. But you create it yourself. There are people who achieve utopia every day. They may not be the richest people with the dopest cribs, but it’s a utopia wherever they are, and that’s the most you can have.
“With every album I live in these worlds in my mind — I’m trying to show people experiences where utopian things can exist, and you can enjoy yourself and have a good time. They can create energy that spews out magical things — new cures, new buildings, new avenues for people to move forward. People need to see that utopia is real.”
