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The 2021 Astroworld Festival has been canceled after what’s been described as a surge and as a stampede left at least 8 people dead. Founder Travis Scott issued a statement saying he was “absolutely devastated” by what happened.
Most testimonials from people on the ground at NRG Park stadium say the crowd just kept getting bigger and bigger on Friday (Nov. 5), the first day of the festival, as it got closer to headliner Travis Scott’s evening set time.
The details are still being sorted, but dozens were injured and at least 8 people lost their lives. The rest of the festival was promptly canceled. On Saturday (Nov. 6), La Flame took to social media to issue a statement.
“I am absolutely devastated by what took place night,” wrote Travis. “My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.”
He added, “Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support.
If you follow Travis Scott, he’s constantly giving back to his hometown via community service endeavors. There were a number of events tied to Astroworld that did so, including his Cactus Jack Foundation’s Fall Classic Softball Game at Minute Maid Park and the public unveiling of the Cactus Jack x Nike Jordan Brand Basketball Court at Sunnyside Community Center.
However, numerous videos from Friday evening reveal that despite the deadly chaos in the crowd, the show pretty much went on. Organizers surely have a lot of explaining to do, and they are most definitely going to be getting sued.
Scott added a more personalized statement, noting he’s seeking to identify the families of the victims to offer his assistance and asserting he had no idea of the “severity of the situation” while performing.
