Travis Scott has promised fans his live show in front of Egypt’s pyramids will go ahead in the future.
The rapper’s desert gig was cancelled at the last minute after promoters Live Nation had insisted it was going ahead this Friday.
Following reports Egyptian authorities had pulled the plug, organisers confirmed on Wednesday the show was off due to “complex production issues”.
But Travis has insisted the gig isn’t dead and he’ll share a new date soon.
The gig – timed to coincide with the release of his new album Utopia – sold out quickly after it was announced.
About two weeks ago Live Nation Middle East was forced to deny local reports that the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate had blocked the gig in Giza, home of the pyramids.
The group – which has the power to grant permission for live performances – was said to be unhappy with various elements of the show.
And on Wednesday Live Nation tweeted to confirm the show had in fact been cancelled.
“We understand that this news is disappointing and not the outcome any of us desired,” they said.
It said refunds would be available to any ticketholders.
The cancellation will be a blow for Travis, who’s been building up to the release of Utopia for weeks now, according to NME commissioning editor Tom Smith.
“It’s not just all about the performance,” he says.
“There’s a lot to consider when these launches are going on – this is just one part of what is a huge rollout.”
Tom thinks two things played a big part in the cancellation – the unique venue and Travis’s reputation.
He points out the pyramids are “an ancient structure” not used to hosting music events attended by thousands.
“Obviously you can go to a music venue or a festival field and there are well-organised structures and processes for that,” he says.
“But when you’re taken into an ancient structure, like the pyramids, things are obviously going to be a lot more tricky and a lot more hard to pull together at the last minute.”
Egyptian authorities said they had safety concerns about the concert following the death of 10 fans in a crowd surge at Travis’s 2021 Astroworld gig in Houston in the United States.
Travis – who has two children with Kylie Jenner – has since tweeted to say: “Egypt at the pyramids will happen.”
He blamed the cancellation on “demand and detail logistics” and said the plans would need a bit of “time to set lay on lands”.
But Tom, from the NME, thinks what happened at Astroworld will affect Travis’s plans for some time.
“His name will always be somewhat attached to what happened,” he says.
“I know there’s been discussions around who was to blame but ultimately it was a huge tragedy.”
The rapper has been wrapped up in legal action since the Astroworld tragedy.
Last month a jury panel in Texas decided not to charge him with any criminal offences.
But he and Live Nation are still facing multiple lawsuits over the crush, in which hundreds of fans are believed to have been hurt.
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