It has been eleven days since tragedy struck at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Music Festival in Houston, Texas. Since then, nine people have been identified as victims of the devastating incidents that unfolded at the event. After the fatal concert, nine people died and many people are left wondering who should be held accountable for the lives that were taken and the hundreds of people that sustained injuries that night.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Travis Scott is a 30-year-old rapper and record producer who first introduced the Astroworld Music Festival in 2018 at the same time his album, ‘Astroworld’ was released. The two-day festival was designed to provide audience members with a nostalgic experience that reflects the emotions connected to the Houston theme park named “Astroworld” that closed down in 2005. The festival was also a chance for Travis Scott fans to see performances from other rappers and artists Scott has collaborated with. The festival made a return in 2019, however; had to be cancelled in 2020 due to covid. With fans more excited than ever to attend a concert, the 2021 Astroworld Music Festival soon turned fatal as people were crushed and trampled ubiquitously. But was it the excitement that proved to be too much for the security team to handle, or are there other factors that led to the tragic events of the night?
An article published by the Houston Chronicle states, “The crowd…suddenly surged toward the stage during a performance by rapper Travis Scott, squeezing fans so tightly together that they could not breathe or move their arms, killing eight people in the chaos.”
Audience members at the event were literally being crushed to death, causing many people to speak up and express their anger towards the artist for continuing his performance despite the hundreds of people being injured in the crowd. In fact, a CNN article describes a moment caught on video by an audience member where one can see “rapper and event organizer Travis Scott — pause and look on in confusion as an ambulance with flashing lights moved into the densely packed crowd.” This suggests that Travis Scott was aware of the circumstances, yet chose to ignore it, and finished his performance anyway.
Immediately following the event, horrified revelers turned to the social media platform, Tiktok to share their experiences and videos from the festival, most of which depicted graphic videos of people collapsing on top of each other as their screams for help become muffled as more people trample one another.
According to records filed with the Harris County District Clerk’s Office as stated in an article by Houston Public Media, several of the festival’s attendees have filed lawsuits against Travis Scott and the concert organizers. The music festival was organized by the company Live Nation and was held at the NRG Stadium in Houston, where several other events have been held previously, however; never had they hosted an event where hundreds of people got injured. In an article published by MSN News, civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Alex Hillard stated, “Both Scott and promoter Live Nation are targets of civil actions,” considering that, “nearly 200 people have filed 93 lawsuits.” Regardless of how the lawsuits unfold, it is clear that Travis Scott will be facing plenty of backlash for the decisions he chose to make─or not make─during his festival.
Although both Travis Scott and Live Nation have issued public apologies for the horrific events that occurred, the public is still demanding for the artist to be held accountable. Investigators and Houston Police Department continue to work with Scott and Live Nation as they continue to try to pinpoint exactly what it is that happened among the crowd of 50,000 people.
As COVID-19 restrictions continue to decompress, the opportunity to attend concerts and music festivals grows. With that in mind, regardless of who is responsible for the tragedy, the devastating events that took place at Astroworld Music Festival serve as an important reminder for festival goers everywhere to always prioritize safety and look out for one another.
