This morning, unfortunate news came out of Houston, Texas in regards to Travis Scott’s Astroworld Fest. It has been reported that anywhere from 8-11 people have passed away from the show. Hundreds have been injured, and many others in Cardiac Arrest.
Travis Scott is notorious for his amazing shows. Scott brings intense and infectious energy that engages the entire crowd, which may be overwhelming for most. During these shows, fans open up a space for a pit which oftentimes causes injuries to some, despite others having fun and being oblivious to persons that may have fallen or just simply want to get out of that space. Last night, a massive crowd surge was the cause of most of those fans who were hospitalized and died.
It is hard to put the blame on Travis because at the end of the day he is just an artist performing his art. Scott even stopped the show a couple of times during his set to help security guards escort a fan that passed out near the front. The problem is the fans. Even before Astroworld began, there were videos of fans throwing things like water bottles, food, and even a foldable chair in the midst of a crowd. Of course, there were also fans that knocked down and climbed gates just to get into the show. Some may make the excuse of “we’ve been sitting in the house for over a year and we’re just excited”, but that is no excuse to be borderline maniacal at a show. When asked about things that be can be changed to prevent this tragic event, one fan simply said “Not have the show anymore”. Another fan suggested more stern and thorough checks from security at the gates. He saw multiple people taking a variety of drugs during the show and said that “He kept passing out and waking up, it was other people in our area doing the same thing.”
“They have to limit the amount of people” said an attendee. “I understand they want to drive more people to the event, but nah, not for a Travis event.”
A huge boost in security and doing a better job of sectioning off fans could also help to an extent. When you have that massive sea of people, it is nearly impossible to tend to someone that is in need of help. Creating more walkways and emergency exits, or even driveways for emergency units to easily get access to a person in danger can step in the direction of preventing this issue.
Their are also stories of fans who are trained medics having help the medics who were hired for the show. One fan said they she literally witnessed someone die because of the un preparedness. Fans were urging the staff to tell Travis to stop the show, but it was to no avail.
In conclusion, I believe Travis should just put an end to Astroworld Fest, especially if the crowd of going to be that substantial. Even though he is a great artist and performer, the cost of losing more lives is too severe. The a good majority of the fans continue to behave like mindless animals which ruins the experience for the one’s who are simply trying to enjoy themselves.