In the light of this weekend’s tragic events that resulted in the death of 8 concert-goers, Travis Scott has announced that he will pay for the funeral costs of all 8 victims as well as mental health services for all at the concert who seek treatment. Scott has also canceled his upcoming live performance at the Day N Vegas Festival in Las Vegas. The Astroworld music festival in Houston was the subject of the music world’s attention when a massive crowd surge, as well as other factors that are still currently under investigation, resulted in the injury of an ever-growing number of fans and the death of 8 Astroworld attendees. Scott himself was the subject of intense media scrutiny and Twitter outrage after he continued to perform songs while ambulances were in the crowd attempting to get medical attention to the victims.
Scott, Drake and the organizers of Astroworld are facing lawsuits as a result of their alleged negligence that some are saying lead to the delayed treatment of many of the victims. In response, Scott has offered full refunds to all of those who attended the Astroworld festival. He also partnered with the therapy provider BetterHelp to ensure all those who attended the concert who may be experiencing trauma because of the horrific events they witnessed can get the help they may need.
The Day N Festival was set to be headlined by Scott, Tyler, the Creator and Kendrick Lamar. No announcement has been made on who, if anyone, will replace Scott for the festival. With the memories of the 2017 Las Vegas concert shooting still fresh in the minds of many, perhaps Scott performing in the aftermath of the Astroworld tragedy would be deemed as insensitive. Scott himself has said that he is too distraught to perform, and recently gave an emotional apology over Instagram live. Astroworld was also scrutinized for its allegedly lax security, with videos showing 100s of fans storming past the gates to get into the concert unchecked. Among a stacked lineup of artists who performed at the show, Roddy Rich announced that he would donate all of his earnings from the concert to the families of those affected.
Photo Credit: Richard Saethang