On Nov 5, Travis Scott opened up his two-day Astroworld Festival expecting 50,000 excited fans but, instead, walked away with a pile of lawsuits. 

Travis Scott, a singer, rapper, and producer, is best known for his album Astroworld, which this festival was named after. His concert began at around 9 pm and soon the crowd started to shift to the front, causing panic and slight injuries. At first, the concert proceeded as usual; however, thirty minutes later, red and blue flashing lights were visible from the crowd. The concert only paused for a brief moment and was soon resumed by Drake joining Travis and ending the concert at 10:10 pm with the song “Goosebumps”.

Although Houston PD hasn’t confirmed exactly how many victims there were yet, 25 people were carried out in ambulances and remain in critical condition while 8 people were killed- the youngest being only 14 years old. The ones who passed away include John Hilgert, age 14; Brianna Rodriguez, age 16; Rodolfo Angel Peña, age 23; Axel Acosta, age 21; Franco Patino, age 21; Jacob Jurinek, age 20; Madison Dubiski, age 23; and Danish Baig, age 27.

It was reported by many eyewitnesses that the guards and organizers ignored the pleas of the fans asking them for help and to shut the concert down. Scott later addressed the situation on an Instagram live. “Any time I could make out anything that was going on, I’d stop the show and help them get the help they need”. To say the least, fans were not happy with his “apology”.

This was not Travis’ first experience with violence. He has been charged with inciting violence at previous concerts. The first incident, of which, was in 2015 during his Lollapalooza performance when Scott told attendees to climb over security barricades. A second incident was after a show in Arkansas where he was charged with inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, and endangering the welfare of a minor.

These actions are not without consequences: since November 8, at least 46 lawsuits have been filed against Scott, some even including names of entertainment companies and event organizers. Many lawsuits claim the scene was chaotic and aggressive. Insider Magazine states that one even goes on to say that Scott is “like the violinist on the Titanic who played while the ship sank around him”. The suit argues that Scott ignored calls from the venue telling him to stop performing, but, instead, urged the audience to make “the ground shake.” 

On November 24, the parents of John Hilgert- the youngest to pass away during the concert- filed a lawsuit against Scott. The lawsuit demands that concerts become safer by adding better security, more medical facilities, and assigned seating.

The tragedy that took place at Scott’s concert should never take place again. In order to ensure the safety and well-being of people attending concerts, the demands of the lawsuit should be met. Additionally, concertgoers should be cautious about remaining safe and aiding those who are injured or in need of medical assistance when attending concerts in the future.