Three people were hospitalised with minor leg injuries while trying to enter Travis Scott’s second annual Astroworld festival in Houston yesterday (November 9).
ABC13 Eyewitness News reports that fans were trampled before the gates officially opened at midday after the barricades were knocked over, allowing hundreds of fans to rush into the grounds at once.
Scott himself shared fan footage of the moment fans began running to enter the event on his Instagram account, adding: “RAGERS SET TONE WHEN I COME OUT TONIGHT. BE SAFE RAGE HARD.” The official Astroworld account later shared a picture of a packed crowd inside captioned “REAL RAGERS”. See the posts in full below.
The festival sold out weeks ago, despite the lineup — featuring Migos, Pharrell, Marilyn Manson, Rosalia, and more — just being announced on Friday (November 8). Many fans camped outside Houston’s NRG Park last night to try to secure prime viewing spots for the event.
It’s not the first time safety has been a concern for Travis Scott fans. In 2015, the rapper’s Lollapalooza set was shut down and he was arrested after reportedly encouraging fans to jump a security barrier and rush the stage.
According to ABC7 Chicago reports, festival organisers deemed the situation to be unsafe just five minutes into Scott’s set. He left the stage but was soon arrested by police and has been charged with disorderly conduct.
“The performer played one song and then began telling fans to come over the barricades,” the Office of Emergency Management said in a statement. “Due to the security’s quick response, the situation was remedied immediately and no fans were injured. The performer fled the scene and was taken into custody a short while later.”