Live music events at Pyramids of Giza could face ban as lawsuit claims structural harm
A rights organisation claims that loud music from recent Anyma and Circoloco shows could have a “destabilising” impact on the 4,000-year-old monuments
An Egyptian rights organisation has urged authorities to put an end to live music and other public gatherings at the Pyramids of Giza, citing concerns that amplified sound and large-scale production elements could threaten the 4,000-year-old site’s “structural integrity.”
The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) filed a legal complaint on October 8, seeking to halt ongoing events and other “unlicensed activities” taking place around the historic complex.
The Pyramids of Giza, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and believed to date back between 4,200 and 4,600 years, have increasingly become a sought-after setting for concerts and cultural showcases. Since January 2023, Egypt’s Tourism Ministry has allowed the site to be “rented” for private and commercial functions.
Recent high-profile performances include a November 2024 party by Ibiza’s Circoloco that ran until 3:AM, as well as a headline audiovisual show by Anyma earlier this month. Tiësto is also scheduled to perform at the Pyramids on December 19.
In its submission, the ECESR argues that “loud nighttime concerts that employ sound equipment producing high-frequency vibrations” could potentially “destabilise” the ancient stone structures, and that “laser lighting systems do not comply with international standards for illumination at heritage sites.”
The lawsuit has been filed by ECESR on behalf of a coalition of Egyptologists, archaeologists, researchers and cultural heritage specialists, with the Governor of Giza, Ahmed Rashad, also listed among the plaintiffs.
It references the Egyptian Constitution, Law No. 117 of 1983 on the Protection of Antiquities, and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention; all of which require Egyptian authorities to adopt “all necessary legislative and administrative measures” to safeguard heritage sites.
The filing ultimately requests that officials ban “any excavation or construction work, whether temporary or permanent, within the archaeological zone for the purpose of hosting such events.”
Full details of the lawsuit can be accessed here.
