Three days after a crowd rush left eight people dead and hundreds more injured at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Fest in Houston, the festival’s promoters Live Nation and ScoreMore said on Monday that they’re providing mental health counseling resources to attendees and are developing a health fund to go toward medical expenses.
Live Nation didn’t immediately reply to request for comment on how much money the company is putting into the fund or if it will completely cover any attendee’s potential medical costs. Live Nation’s announcement comes just after Scott said he’d be covering the funeral costs for the Astroworld victims’ families and similarly said he will be providing mental health counseling services as well.
Beyond the attendee support measures, Live Nation and ScoreMore said they’re cooperating with Houston authorities as they investigate the cause of the fatal incident. The promoters said they’ve given authorities all their footage from their CCTV cameras and have paused their breakdown and load-out of the festival grounds so investigators can inspect them.
We wanted to provide an update on the steps that Live Nation, Scoremore and the Astroworld Fest team have been taking. https://t.co/BsAHPSQXhK
— Live Nation (@LiveNation) November 8, 2021
Houston authorities announced their investigation Saturday, and they’re looking to confirm what caused the crowd to rush in the first place along with why crowd members couldn’t escape. Before the festival even started, city officials and organizers had already voiced potential safety concerns.
The New York Times obtained multiple emergency documents prepared by the festival’s organizers, one of which read: “Based on the site’s layout and numerous past experiences, the potential for multiple alcohol/drug related incidents, possible evacuation needs, and the ever-present threat of a mass casualty situation are identified as key concerns.” The Times also reported that Houston Police Chief Troy Finner was worried enough about the event’s safety that he spoke with Scott about it before the show.
Scott paused multiple times during his set, but the event didn’t end until 40 minutes after Houston Police declared it a “mass casualty situation.” Several witnesses who spoke with Rolling Stone said they didn’t know anyone had died at the festival until well after they left. Both Live Nation and Scott are already facing several lawsuits from attendees.
From Rolling Stone US
