Egypt: Kevin Hart show cancelled amid controversy over 'Afrocentric' views

A comedy show in Cairo starring US stand-up and actor Kevin Hart has been cancelled due to “local logistical issues”, according to the Egyptian event organisers, R Productions.

The performance, part of Hart’s Reality Check 2023 worldwide tour, was to be his debut in the North African country and was scheduled to kick-off today. However in a Facebook post yesterday, the management company stated: “It is with a heavy heart that we share with you, due to local logistical issues, the cancellation of our Kevin Hart event scheduled for February 21, in Cairo.”

The statement added: “In the meantime, we are asking for your patience as we work with the TicketsMarché team to make sure that all the refunds are met in the shortest time possible.”

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In December last year, Hart announced he will be performing for the first time in Egypt at the Cairo Indoor Stadium, however the news was met with mixed reactions, as many Egyptian social media users called for the show to be cancelled over the comedian’s previous Afrocentric views regarding Ancient Egyptian history. Among them was Egyptian actor Youssef Othman who highlighted to his online followers that Hart had invested in an Afrocentric animation series by the company Black Sands Entertainment.

Another media personality who campaigned against the show being held in Egypt, presenter Ahmad Younes, took to Facebook to react to the news of the show being axed stating:  “I can’t express how happy I am with the news, because I was one of the thousands of people who wanted this event to be cancelled. This means that our words can make a difference, and we are proud to be Egyptians, and no one can take our history and culture away from us.”

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