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Three years following the tragic incident at the notorious Astroworld festival, individuals who survived are now sharing their perspectives on Travis Scott's actions.
The documentary Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy, which debuted on Tuesday, June 10, included discussions with survivors of the crowd surge, relatives of those who died, and officials from the Houston Police Department. Many attendees of the festival revealed that their opinions about Scott, 34, have evolved after witnessing his response to the aftermath of the tragedy.
Arturo, who experienced a health scare during the concert, expressed in the documentary, “My admiration for Travis was certainly once intense. However, using the term hate feels like a stretch. What I can say is that I can no longer support him.”
The tragic event unfolded in November 2021 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, when the audience surged toward the stage, resulting in the deaths of ten individuals and over 100 injuries. Scott first addressed the incident the day after his performance. He tweeted, “I’m utterly heartbroken by what transpired last night. My thoughts are with the families and all those affected by the events at the Astroworld Festival. I completely support Houston PD as they investigate this tragic loss of life.”
Arturo criticized Scott’s initial reaction to the fatalities at the festival, stating, “It felt like a slap in the face to me and to everyone who was affected. It didn’t seem genuine; it was almost as if he felt obligated to say something.”
Another participant in the documentary echoed this sentiment, reflecting, “‘Oh, well. I’m sorry, guys. See you at the next one.’ That’s the vibe I got,” while a third survivor remarked, “It just seemed poor. It appeared really poor, and you no longer seemed like the superhero you once were.”
Scott later provided further clarification through his Instagram Stories, stating that he was unaware of the “severity of the situation” until after the concert concluded.
In a video released in December 2021 on YouTube, Scott asserted that he could not perceive the full extent of the crowd's injuries from his position on stage.
“And even in that instant, you think to yourself, ‘Hold on, what just happened?’ People faint, incidents occur during concerts, but this situation [was unique],” he mentioned in a conversation with Charlamagne tha God. “It’s truly astonishing because I’m that performer too — whenever you witness something like that, your instinct is to halt the performance. Your priority is to ensure that fans are receiving the necessary care. Whenever I noticed anything of the sort, I intervened a couple of times to confirm that everyone was fine. My actions are largely influenced by the energy of the audience — it's a call and response dynamic. It’s just that I didn’t sense that. You can only act on what you observe and what you are informed; as soon as you’re instructed to stop, you stop.”
Numerous individuals who were present at the event and survived shared in Netflix’s documentary how their lives transformed following the incident.
“For the first time ever, I encountered genuine depression and authentic anxiety,” Arturo expressed further. “I felt undeserving of survival compared to others. Why was I spared, and not them?”
In the meantime, Ayden, who was at Astroworld with Brianna Rodriguez before her passing, confessed he faced difficulties afterward, stating, “I was 18 at that time. My existence has entirely shifted since then. The fact that Brianna lost her life plunged me into a profound depression.
Attending school was only a means for me to play basketball. I completely abandoned everything.”
He added: “The day always occupies my thoughts. I reflect on what I could have done differently or the actions I should have taken sooner, as I replay that moment, wishing for an alternate result. Yet, it always concludes the same way. It could have been avoided.”
Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy included insights from crowd safety specialist Scott Davidson, who articulated his findings regarding the event.
“In the months that followed, [event organizer] Live Nation reached out to me. I was familiar with the venue, the event itself, and the associated politics, allowing me to quickly understand the events that unfolded,” he clarified. “I was provided with text messages among executives, emails, documentation, and site plans. There were thousands of photographs and videos — all of which have been made available to the public.”
Davidson described the Astroworld disaster as “not an accident,” stating, “It was a result of a lack of foresight and a neglect of essential safety measures. Live Nation reportedly sold 50,000 tickets for the festival. However, these tickets were sold prior to figuring out how that many people could safely witness Travis’s performance. After the incident, experts working for the plaintiffs reviewed the evidence and estimated that the safe capacity for the main stage was just 35,000 attendees. This suggests they had planned for far more attendees than could safely enjoy Travis’s show.”
The specialist noted how earlier that day, a large number of individuals without tickets rushed the event.
“When they lost control of the entry points, it resulted in an indeterminate number of attendees at the festival. In the days prior to the event, we witnessed text communications among key members of the management team stating that 50,000 people couldn't possibly fit in this venue. They were aware that this would pose a problem,” Davidson elaborated. “Not only was Travis’s stage at risk of exceeding its capacity, but the poorly designed layout caused people to approach the stage from the sides, leading them to become trapped in a space where they were crushed and unable to get air.”
He went on to say, “All ten deaths were due to compression asphyxiation in that particular area. Additional text messages sent only minutes before Travis took the stage indicated that Live Nation was conscious of the unfolding disaster. However, they failed to intervene before it was too late. Among all the failures at Astroworld, a recurring theme is the inability to confront authority with the truth. There were numerous chances to voice concerns. Someone should have stepped forward and said, ‘Hold on. This isn’t right. We’re going to cause harm.’”
Live Nation issued a statement that was included in the documentary, which stated, “The venue’s sellable capacity was determined by SMG Global and sanctioned by the Houston Fire Department before ticket sales commenced. The amount of tickets sold and the number of attendees on site did not surpass the approved limit. HFD, SMG Global, and the Houston Police Department were informed of the event planning, which adhered to safety regulations. The Festival Safety & Risk Director, along with representatives from HPD, agreed upon and implemented an early show stop.”
The documentary mentioned that in 2023, a grand jury in Houston concluded that no one was criminally liable for the fatalities at Astroworld. All ten wrongful death lawsuits against Live Nation, Scott, and other parties were resolved out of court for undisclosed financial amounts.
Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy also underscored how Scott set records in 2024 by achieving “the highest-grossing solo rap concert tour ever, bringing in over $210 million. This was produced by Live Nation.” Scott did not make any comments in the documentary or issue a statement, but he has previously shared his thoughts on the tragedy.
“That moment for families, for the city, was heartbreaking,” Scott told GQ during an interview for its 28th annual Men of the Year issue in November 2023. “When creating music, you reflect on life experiences and events that have occurred, and you focus on those elements.”
Scott reminisced about feeling “deeply heartbroken” after the event. “I constantly reflect on it. Those supporters were akin to family for me. You know, I cherish my fans immensely … My heart goes out to those individuals. And to their families,” he expressed regarding the lingering “sorrow too” for the lives that were lost. “I seek to create change in various aspects, to enhance situations, and to improve myself.”
He wrapped up by stating: “I have worries, thoughts that occupy my mind, and the daily occurrences I observe weigh on me. Each day, I aspire to bring about change, to improve conditions, and to better myself. It’s akin to: I experience challenges like everyone else. And even recently, I faced something I never thought would happen.”
Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy is available for streaming on Netflix.
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