One week after Live Nation insisted that Travis Scott’s Utopia concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt had not been canceled — despite numerous local news outlets reporting otherwise — Live Nation Middle East has confirmed that the July 28 show is, in fact, canceled.
“We regret to inform you that the UTOPIA show, originally scheduled for July 28th at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is cancelled,” the concert promoter said in a statement on Twitter. “Unfortunately, despite highest efforts, complex production issues meant that the show could not be constructed in the desert. We understand that this news is disappointing and not the outcome any of us desired.”
Live Nation Middle East added that refunds would be issued to ticket holders at their point of purchase. A rep for Scott declined to comment further, pointing Rolling Stone to Live Nation’s tweet.
While Live Nation Middle East cited production issues for the cancellation, the reports from last week indicated that Egyptian authorities had revoked the permit granted for Scott’s performance because the show “goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.” The decision was reportedly made by the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate, a group responsible for approving and issuing permits for concerts.
In a statement shared with the press, the Syndicate said that it came to its decision after “examining social media opinions and feedback,” as well as news reports that included “authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals performed by [Scott] during his performance.” This, the Syndicate said, stood in opposition to “our authentic societal values and traditions.”
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Scott announced the Pyramids of Giza show earlier this month, indicating the concert would also be livestreamed. The show was ostensibly meant to coincide with the release of Scott’s new album, Utopia, which he announced earlier this week would be arriving this Friday, July 28.
Scott also plans to release an accompanying movie, Circus Maximus, in theaters starting July 27; per a poster, Scott directed the film in collaboration with Gaspar Noé, Nicolas Winding Refn, Harmony Korine, Valdimar Jóhannsson, and Kahlil Joseph. (While the poster said the movie was produced by A24, a representative for the studio told Pitchfork that it was not involved.)
