Egypt music officials revoke Travis Scott concert permit at Giza Pyramids, saying the rapper promotes 'Masonic thoughts' and 'carries out strange rituals'

• A state authority in Egypt has revoked a concert permit for rapper Travis Scott's July 28 show.
• The concert was set to take place at the Giza Pyramids, but the officials claimed his 'strange rituals' should be barred.

Travis Scott's UTOPIA concert, which was set to take place on July 28 at the ancient pyramids of Giza, was canceled after Egyptian officials took issue with the rapper's image.

The Egyptian Syndicate of Musical Professionals, a state body that issues permits for concerts in the country, canceled Scott's permit on Tuesday, claiming that the rapper "carries out strange rituals," but concert organizers say the show will go on.

The show, which was promoted by the country's tourism authority earlier this month and meant to showcase Scott's new album UTOPIA, had its permit revoked after the syndicate said it surveyed Egyptians' opinions online, per The Los Angeles Times and Egyptian state outlet Al-Ahram.

"Photos and reports showed that Scott uses his concerts to hold rituals that contradict with our values and traditions. The syndicate thus decided to cancel the license for the concert which is not in line with the Egyptian people's cultural identity," the statement said. "The syndicate is committed to preserving the security and stability of our beloved homeland and rejects any actions that go against its societal values."

Egyptian lawyer Amr Abdel-Samie also complained about the event on TV, calling Scott "masonic, satanic, and devil worshipper with a dark history," per Al-Ahram.

A rep for Scott did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

Egypt's Ministry of Culture could still override the decision and allow Scott to perform, and LiveNation has said the concert is going ahead, per Pitchfork.

The same conservative syndicate in Egypt has previously canceled openly LGBTQ+ acts, as well as banned mahraganat music, a socially-conscious form of electronic rap, temporarily.

According to the Times, some of the opposition to the show stemmed from the fatal tragedy at Scott's 2021 Astroworld Festival, where a rush and stampede left 10 people dead. It also led to unfounded conspiracies that Scott used the festival to perform a satanic ritual.

Last month, a Houston grand jury determined that Scott and other organizers of the festival would face no criminal charges, according to Rolling Stone.