As a part of its Trainwreck series (which looks into disastrous pop culture events), Netflix unveiled a documentary titled The Astroworld Tragedy on June 10. This anxiety-inducing new release sheds light on Travis Scott’s 2021 Houston festival, which impacted the lives of music fans forever. The doc provides an in-depth investigation of the circumstances that led to fatalities in a setting where patrons were expecting joy and entertainment.
While some have condemned Netflix for “re-opening old wounds” in the official trailer’s comment section on YouTube, this documentary serves as a poignant reminder of why safety should always be the number one concern, even in party-centric environments. It answers questions like: Who was impacted by Astroworld? What happened to Travis Scott? And who was held accountable for the obvious security failures that resulted in tragedy?
When was the Astroworld tragedy?
[embedded content]
The Astroworld tragedy occurred on Nov. 5, 2021, at the Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas. As Time Magazine reports, this festival was organized by Live Nation, the biggest live event promoter in the United States. It’s worth noting that Scott’s hometown plans for 2020 were ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, fans were over the moon when they were promised a bigger and better experience to make up for it the next year. For the third-ever Astroworld Festival, the line-up was expanded from one day to two, boasting performances from the likes of SZA, Young Thug, 21 Savage and Don Toliver.
While intentions might have been good, the expanded event ultimately became a huge issue for everyone involved. Massive crowds started causing problems as early as 10 AM. Before long, entry points were being rushed by avid ragers around the scheduled start time of 2 PM. Some attendees were even trampled upon entry due to sheer crowding to get in, according to ABC 13 Houston.
Despite the lack of control witnessed by patrons and onlookers throughout the day, the countdown clock for Travis Scott’s performance ticked on as usual. Around 9 PM he took to the stage, marking the beginning of a crowd crush that would soon turn fatal.
How many people died at Astroworld 2021?
Due to logistical failures and widespread panic, the 2021 Astroworld Festival quickly took a dark turn. As Scott graced the stage with his usual high energy, things began spinning out of control. As attendees of the 2021 “Mass Casualty Event” recall in the Netflix documentary, the countdown was the beginning of the end. One woman tearfully recalls her experience in the trailer, revealing she found it difficult even to catch her breath in the audience. “Oh my God, I can’t take a deep breath…because people were falling on me.”
Less than an hour after the main performer began his set, concert goers climbed up restricted structures and screamed for the show to stop. In fact, as ABC 13 Houston reports, under ten minutes into Travis Scott’s set, attendees were making 911 calls from the audience. Around 9:40 PM, “show stop” procedures were finally put into place by authorities, and the tragic aftermath was clear. The concert ended early with 10 fatalities and hundreds of crowd members needing medical attention for their injuries. As Time reports, the youngest victim of compression asphyxia was just nine years old.
What happened to Travis Scott? Did the artist face charges?
The shocking events at Astroworld 2021 were a mix of many different failures. But some people put some of the blame on Travis Scott himself for his involvement, rather than the festival organizers exclusively. The new documentary reflects on how one lawsuit even called the festival a “predictable and preventable tragedy,” given the amount that could have been done to avoid the devastating outcome. Ultimately, though, as NPR reports, Travis Scott did not face criminal charges for the deadly crowd surge at his concert.
A grand jury in Texas declined to charge the rapper or other organizers for the fatal incident at all. According to the outlet,“The grand jury of the 228th District Court of Harris County found that no crime did occur, that no single individual was criminally responsible.” As of June 2024, all ten wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of victims and survivors have been settled outside of court, according to Netflix.
What did La Flame say about the incident, and has he performed since?
Travis Scott (AKA La Flame) was justifiably quiet about the Astroworld tragic events for a while after they occurred. With potential legal charges and victims to mourn, the artist most definitely had a lot on his mind. It was not until later in December 2021 that he finally broke his silence. He did so with a nearly hour-long heartfelt interview with Charlamagne Tha God. Scott expressed how he had gone through an “emotional rollercoaster.”
The father of two said, “I went through something, my fans went through something and people’s parents went through something.” Scott additionally expressed that he wished the incident had never happened, making it clear that security at concerts should protect audience members and artists alike from incidents like this.
As Rolling Stone confirms, in the first quarter of 2022, Scott seemed eager to return to business as usual while showing face at a small event. Despite it not being promoted as an official performance, he hit the stage at a Bel Air house party leading up to the Oscars. Posts were shared of the private function in March 2022, where he performed his hit “Sicko Mode” for an A-list audience. This move was met with backlash, since he had been lying relatively low for quite some time.
Since his initial commentary, Scott has kept quiet about Astroworld in recent years. Rather than giving an updated on his perspective in Trainwreck, Netflix tells their story through “footage shot by festivalgoers, harrowing 911 calls, and interviews with survivors and families of victims.” His decision to opt out of involvement with the investigative project may or may not flatter the artist at the end of the day. Still, some viewers have expressed appreciation for the unbiased exploration of Astroworld 2021’s massive failure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were at Astroworld 2021?
Astroworld attracts tens of thousands of people annually, but in 2021 Cosmopolitan reports there were around 50,000 people in attendance. Compression asphyxia, which many victims suffered from, occurred quickly when the large crowds crashed into each other.
Was Kylie Jenner at Astroworld?
Per People, Kylie Jenner and her daughter with Scott, Stormi, were in attendance at Astroworld when the chaos ensued. Thankfully, both were unharmed. Kylie was expecting their second child at the time, and stopped by the event with sister Kendall in support of her then partner.
