When in Rome
The rapper will perform music from his new album Utopia at the ancient monument on August 7, on the condition that the performance isn’t canceled, too
Travis Scott’s determination to perform his new album Utopia at an ancient international monument is sending him to Italy. The rapper announced that in one week, on Aug. 7, he will bring his latest live show to Circus Maximus, an entertainment stadium and public park in Rome that used to host chariot races. The event will possibly get Scott’s live performance plans back on track after his scheduled appearance at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt was canceled due to production-related complications.
This time around, Scott at least picked a venue that is suitable for hosting performances of this nature. In the last few weeks, Circus Maximus, or Circo Massimo in Italian, has been the site of concerts from Måneskin, Bruce Springsteen, Guns N’ Roses, and more. When Scott performs there next week, it’ll only have been two days since Imagine Dragons were there performing “Radioactive.” Rome has something for everyone.
In a way, the Circus Maximus performance is an even better live starting point for the Utopia era than the Pyramids would have been. There’s a track on the album titled “Circus Maximus,” which features an appearance from The Weeknd. It’s also the title of the album film Scott premiered in select theaters ahead of Utopia‘s release. The film, which he helmed himself alongside five other directors, features a heart-to-heart with Rick Rubin and Scott being choked by an octopus.
Scott hasn’t revealed in extensive detail what he plans for his live show to look like for this album. When the initial Egypt show was canceled, the rapper tweeted: “Egypt at the pyramids will happen but due to demand and detail logistics they just need a bit a time to set lay on lands.”
However, according a press statement from the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate, a group responsible for approving and issuing permits for concerts, the show’s permit was revoked because it did not align with the culture. “When Egyptian public opinion began discussing the culture that [Travis Scott] is promoting, it reflects the opposite values of Egyptian culture and the Arab region,” the statement read. “He has controversy in America and the values are not deemed appropriate by traditional Egyptian culture.”