The Administrative Court in Egypt is considering the lawsuit filed to cancel the concert of American rapper Travis Scott, who is scheduled to perform on July 28 at the Giza Pyramid Complex near Cairo.
The court requested that a statement be extracted from the Permanent Supreme Committee for Organizing Festivals, to ensure that the company organizing the party submitted a request for a permit to hold it.
A wide controversy arose after the Syndicate of Musical Professions in Egypt issued a decision banning the holding of Scott’s concert, despite obtaining its permits, according to what the organizing company said, noting that it would not back down from its position.
Art critic Issam Zakaria said, in an interview with Al-Araby from Cairo, that the case of Scott’s concert reached the judiciary after the organizing party confirmed that it had obtained the permits and sold the tickets, which puts it before the two options of returning the ticket money, or proving legally that it is not the party responsible for canceling the concert.
Controversial security statements
Artists and activists criticized the union’s decision, especially after the concert tickets were sold out completely, and considered that this harms the image of Egypt and tourism, especially since Scott is widely popular in Africa. And they went through the communication sites to ask about the timing of the decision, and about the reason for allowing the ceremony to be held from the beginning, before retracting it.
Zakaria added that the security authorities have become interested in looking into the case, especially in light of the possible incidents that may accompany that party, especially since Scott’s concerts have always witnessed violent incidents.
The most prominent of these incidents that occurred during Scott’s concerts was in 2021, when the Houston police opened a criminal investigation into the deaths of at least eight people and the injury of dozens as a result of a stampede by a crowd of fans during the “Astroworld” music festival that Scott revived.
“strange ritual”
Zakaria believed that the Musicians Syndicate should have contacted the organizing party, before announcing the cancellation of the concert, and informing them of the matter, in addition to the permits that the matter is questioning.
In light of the criticism that accompanied the union’s decision, Captain Mustafa Kamel was forced to clarify that the decision came with the full approval of the union members, in light of what was published on social media about the dangers of Scott’s parties. He indicated that he did not know Scott, although the syndicate’s statement about canceling the ceremony included that Scott “practices strange rituals” that contradict the values of the Egyptian people.
Zakaria considered, in his interview with Al-Araby, that Kamel’s handling of the ceremony does not indicate a union-style work, considering that the captain provided an excuse worse than guilt, declaring his ignorance of what Scott was offering in light of the development of technological information capabilities.
He stressed that the use of terms such as “Masonic rituals” are exaggerated allegations, since the events that accompany Scott’s parties are incidents that indicate a lack of security discipline only.
