The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) has filed a lawsuit calling for the suspension of large-scale music events at the Pyramids of Giza.
Filed by the ECESR on behalf of Dr. Monica Hanna, Egyptologist and Assistant Professor of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage; Sally Salah El-Din, tour guide and independent researcher; and Malek Adly, cassation lawyer and advocate for the protection of cultural heritage, the lawsuit claims that loud parties, lasers, and heavy stage setups threaten the integrity of the 4,500-year-old monuments, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It also alleges that vibrations from the powerful sound systems are “capable of destabilising the ancient stone structures” while laser lighting rigs fail to comply with international standards for “illumination at heritage sites.”
The filing comes in the wake of multiple major music events at the pyramids, with headliners including Carl Cox, Keinemusik and most recently, Anyma. The latter’s show was attended by over 15,000 people, including approximately 4,000 Egyptians and 11,000 foreign tourists.
Filed against Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and the Governor of Giza, the lawsuit claims that authorities have neglected their legal obligation to protect the site from temporary and permanent excavation and construction works carried out in order to facilitate these events.
The plaintiffs go on to warn that neglecting the sites would damage Egypt’s reputation for tourism and create a negative image with regard to compliance to international standards for heritage site management.
The founder of EXIT Festival, Dušan Kovačević, is reportedly currently in the process of organising the first-ever multi-day, multi-stage music festival at the historic site, with an expected launch in October 2026. The news comes in the wake of the festival leaving its home of Serbia due to “financial and political pressures”.
You can read the ECESR’s filing via its website.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source djmag.com ’
