Astroworld 2021: A Festival Gone Wrong

The+crowds+at+Astroworld+reached+at+least+50%2C000+people%2C+causing+people+to+be+squished+soldier+to+soldier+in+the+crowd%2C+not+allowing+them+to+make+any+kinds+of+movements.+%0A

New York Post

The crowds at Astroworld reached at least 50,000 people, causing people to be squished soldier to soldier in the crowd, not allowing them to make any kinds of movements.

Katelyn Ruggles, Editor

On November 5th, Travis Scott held day one of his famous music festival Astroworld. This festival has been going on since 2018 and is one of the most anticipated music festivals every year. However, a night that should have made lasting memories for fans quickly turned into what could be one of the most traumatic nights these festival goers experienced. 

The red flags for this festival started before Travis Scott began performing. Astroworld was held in Houston, Texas with a crowd expectancy of 50,000 people. For the space where the festival was, 50,000 people was already pushing the limit of how many people could fit in the space. To add to the fire, there were fans who had not purchased tickets that stormed the grounds and hopped fences, joining the large crowd in time for the performance. 

Travis’s performance only lasted for 40 minutes until it was shut down, though some say even that was too long for the behavior going on in the crowd. People at the concert said it was so full that people were not able to move from being squished by others, going as far as preventing people from being able to breathe. Because of these circumstances as well as mosh pits, hundreds of people were passing out in the crowds, being stomped on by careless people who continued to mosh while others had fallen to the floor. Ultimately, this is what resulted in the eight deaths that took place that night. 

Scott has publicly spoken out about the tragedy on social media, saying that he is devastated by what occurred and will be funding the funeral expenses for the families of the lost ones as well as providing mental health resources. 

However, Travis Scott is still getting heavily blamed and receiving backlash for the actions that happened at the concert. Scott has been known for encouraging reckless rage behavior at his concerts, resulting in him being arrested in 2015 during Lollapalooza, another famous music festival, for encouraging fans to jump security barricades and inciting riots in the crowd. 

There are many clips on social media that have been taken at the event, some including unconscious bodies being carried out of the crowd as well fans chanting “stop” to get the attention of Travis on stage. It is rumored that Travis was aware of the issues happening in the crowd, though maybe not to the extent that people were dying, yet continued to go on with his shows since he is no stranger to heavy raging. One of the most popular videos surfacing the internet from the festival captures a girl trying to notify staff that people are unconscious in the crowd, where she is being completely ignored. 

Brett Barrera (11) comments on the event, saying

It is completely disheartening for this to happen. Concerts are supposed to be a place to make memories, laugh, and escape from life, not lose it

— Brett Barrera (11)

.” 

Travis Scott is facing charges from the Houston Police Department for poor crowd control as it was reported that he was warned about the crowds by the Houston police chief before the festival began. 

The eight victims that attended this festival went there to enjoy music and have a night to create memories, but sadly had their lives taken. Concerts are meant to be a space to appreciate music, bond with one another, and see some of your favorite artists. When did this shift change to concerts becoming a dangerous space of “mob mentality” and deadly raging?