Organizers of the Astroworld music festival, headlined by rapper Travis Scott, reportedly anticipated the overcrowding issues that ultimately resulted in 10 tragic deaths at the event in 2021.
Court documents reveal that 10 days before the festival, the safety head expressed concerns about the number of attendees near the stage, noting that fitting 50,000 people in front of the stage seemed unlikely.
The recent court filings, submitted by lawyers representing the families affected by the Astroworld tragedy, contain alleged conversations and supporting evidence underpinning the mass civil litigation against the festival’s organizers.
Expert testimony presented by the plaintiffs suggests that the festival planners miscalculated the allowable number of people to prevent overcrowding, believing that the fire safety code permitted five square feet per person when in reality, it was seven.
This misunderstanding led to a crowd of approximately 50,000 squeezing into a space designed for only 34,500 individuals. Additionally, the documents indicate that organizers were worried that un-ticketed gatecrashers could further exacerbate the situation by increasing the size of the crowd. Security lapses and a failure to monitor the crowd for signs of a potential crush were also highlighted in the court filings.
The civil case, expected to commence in May, involves defendants such as Travis Scott, concert company Live Nation Entertainment, and venue manager ASM. Since the concert, Travis Scott has been embroiled in numerous lawsuits, some of which have been settled, while others remain active.
Drake, who performed with Scott at Astroworld, has been named in some of the lawsuits but is seeking dismissal, arguing that he had no involvement in the festival’s planning and was unaware of any safety issues before taking the stage.
The tragic incident at Astroworld in Houston, where 10 young fans lost their lives during Scott’s performance, prompted an independent investigation that was rejected by Harris County commissioners in 2021. A grand jury also declined to press criminal charges against Scott and five others in June 2023.
Despite these legal challenges, Scott recently announced the creation of project HEAL in response to the Astroworld tragedy, reflecting on the events that transpired and aiming to support those affected.
