Travis Scott's sold-out concert at the Giza Pyramids is to go ahead, says the show's organiser Live Nation.
The US company released a statement overnight denying reports that the July 28 show had been cancelled after the Egyptian Syndicate of Musical Professions, the body responsible for licensing live music events across Egypt, did not issue the necessary permits.
Scott’s Egyptian concert is set to be live-streamed as part of the global launch of his fourth album, Utopia.
“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,” tweeted Live Nation.
There has been no official comment from Scott, and representatives from Live Nation could not be reached.
News of the initial cancellation arrived on Monday with the syndicate announcing its decision to withhold the licence needed for the concert to go ahead, citing both security and content concerns surrounding the show.
However, in an interview with ET Bil Arabi on Tuesday, syndicate spokesman Muhammad Abdallah said a reversal of the decision can happen should there be an approved security plan put in place.
“If the relevant security authorities agreed, there would be no further talk after their decision; of course we would agree.
“Especially since these authorities will put in place strict security plans in order to preserve the safety of the public, and certainly we will all support this.”
While many praised the initial decision to call off the show, Egyptian celebrities lamented the reputational damage such a move could cause.
“Cancelling the licence for the Travis Scott concert in Egypt is a grave mistake, and no one has the right to make decisions for the Egyptians or speak in their name,” said pop star Ahmed Saad on Facebook.
“I apologise to this international singer and his followers who may see the Egyptians in a backward and retrospective manner.
“And I tell them that Egypt is much bigger than that, and that these are loving and generous people, and that Egypt is the land of arts and civilisations.”
Egyptian billionaire developer Naguib Sawiris also disagreed with the decision, pointing to Scott’s previous successful concerts in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"The cancellation of the American singer's concert is not the mistake. The mistake lies in approving it first and then cancelling it, as it undermines Egypt's credibility, shows a lack of respect for contracts and causes the organiser tremendous losses," Sawiris wrote.
"The concert announcement could have been great global publicity for Egypt, which we lost due to this cancellation, even though the singer performed in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. I have no personal interest in this concert, despite managing an area near the Pyramids and suffering from issues related to horses, camels and security handling of visitors."
