Travis Scott Implores for Utopia Concert After Astroworld Uproar

Travis Scott's planned Utopia concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is at risk of being canceled, prompting the rapper to pen an open letter to local authorities in hopes of saving the show.

The concert, set for July 28, has faced conflicting reports about its status this week. On Tuesday, Egypt's General Syndicate for Musical Professions announced it was revoking Scott's permit due to safety concerns and his "strange rituals," according to the Egypt Independent. However, later that same day, Live Nation released a statement insisting the show would still happen.

But on Thursday, Scott himself confirmed in a letter that issues could prevent the concert from occurring.

"I am writing to you to address the blatant inaccurate reports that have apparently lead to permits being paused for my concert scheduled for July 28, 2023 at the Giza Pyramids," Scott wrote in the letter addressed to local authorities.

He continued: "My understanding is that the Egyptians Musicians Syndicate took this action in response to bot generated fake information regarding my concerts and character. (All anyone with a grasp for modern technology and social media has to do is click on the user profile of these accounts to see that these are not real people.) Specifically, they referred to ‘strange rituals’ that ‘contradict the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.’"

"Nothing could be further from the truth. My only intent with live performances is to unite people around the world over a shared bond in music. As a matter of fact, I just successfully played in an incredibly conservative Saudi Arabia in April for a crowd of 70,000 fans and there was no issue, hiccup or complication whatsoever. (Ask their Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Farhan Al-Saud or see the positive press reviews here)."

Scott went on to defend his music, saying: "My music brings together all cultures and spreads positive messages of empowerment and creative freedom. There is not a single lyric I have written or recording I have made that advocates or endorses anything derogatory to any people, much less the Egyptian people. Nothing in my music lends itself to any kind of ‘strange ritual.’ My performances are celebrations. I only want to lift people up. My new album is entitled Utopia, which is emblematic of my desire to accomplish that goal."

The rapper also cited safety precautions being taken for the event following the Astroworld tragedy in 2021, where 10 people died during his set at a Texas music festival.

Scott concluded by pleading with authorities to allow the concert to move forward as planned, writing: "I implore you to do everything in your power to allow the show to proceed as planned. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

The Utopia show would be Scott's first full concert in five years and coincide with the release of his new album. If canceled, it would be a major disappointment for Scott and fans eagerly awaiting both the event and new music.