Travis Scott and the organizers of his Astroworld music festival are facing renewed scrutiny after new court documents revealed that the event’s safety head expressed concerns about potential overcrowding prior to the deadly concert.
According to reports, Seyth Boardman, who helped create Astroworld’s operational plans, expressed apprehensions about accommodating 50,000 attendees in front of the stage days before the festival.
Had Boardman’s worries been addressed, the tragic events that unfolded on November 5, 2021, when a crowd surge at the concert in Houston led to the deaths of ten individuals and injured hundreds, may have never happened.
Boardman’s concerns highlight a broader issue of miscalculated crowd management strategies.
The recent filings in the mass civil litigation against the festival’s organizers, Live Nation, and Travis Scott himself include conversations and expert evidence suggesting a significant underestimation of the space required per person to avoid overcrowding.
Organizers erroneously believed the fire safety code permitted five square feet per person, whereas seven was required.
This oversight contributed to the squeeze of approximately 50,000 people into a space designed for 34,500, exacerbating the risk of a crowd crush.
Additional concerns highlighted include the potential for gatecrashers to further swell the crowd numbers and a lack of effective monitoring for signs of crowd distress.
Security breaches on the day of the festival have also been identified as a critical factor that contributed to the tragedy.
In the wake of the Astroworld disaster, over 4,900 individuals alleging to be victims have pursued legal action, seeking billions in damages for what has been described as negligence in the event’s organization and management.
Drake, who performed with Travis Scott on the night, has been named in some of the lawsuits.
However, his legal team is seeking his dismissal from these cases because he was not involved in the festival’s planning and was unaware of any safety concerns.
So far, Travis Scott has cooperated with investigators. He conducted an eight-hour deposition in September 2023, and no criminal charges were levied against him.
The focus remains mainly on the broader event management and safety protocols that failed to prevent the tragedy.
The Astroworld incident has prompted a reassessment of crowd management and safety standards at large events, which could have potential implications for future festival planning and the legal responsibilities of artists and organizers.