Rachel’s Crime & Society Blog: Could an Astroworld Tragedy Happen Here in Scotland?

Lindsay Conchar - Scots Law Talks
Aug 4, 2025
6 min read

Written and researched by Rachel Miller, Scots Law Talks Student Volunteer

What is Astroworld?

The Astroworld festival is an annual music festival held in Houston, Texas on the grounds of the old amusement park Six Flags Astroworld. The idea for the festival came from rapper Travis Scott who released his album entitled "Astroworld” in 2018, the same year the first festival was held as a one-day event with the line-up including artists like Scott himself alongside Post Malone, Lil Wayne and others. The festival was, again, one-day in 2019, expanded the genre of artists to include reggaeton and hard rock while including artists like Megan thee Stallion and Pharrell Williams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 festival could not happen but in 2021, the festival was set to make a return as a two-day event over November 5^th and 6^th. Tickets sold out within 30 minutes of release.

November 5^th 2021

On the first day of Astroworld 2021, chaos ensued almost immediately. Excited music fans climbed over fences, tore through security measures and forced their way to get the best view of Scott’s stage, which was left empty all day until his evening 9pm performance. This was a stage set up for Scott only, while every other performer had a separate stage for their sets so when their sets ended everyone rushed over for Scott’s set. The space that allowed for 35,500 soon overflowed with 50,000 music fans, all wanting the best view of Scott’s performance. A stampede occurred in which up to 300 people were injured and, tragically, 10 ended up losing their lives.

A timeline shows that before 4pm, 54 people required medical assistance, five hours before Scott was due to perform. Just after Scott began performing, people were struggling to stand upright due to the number of people squeezed into the arena. The first attempt at a call to emergency services happened at 9:11pm, an hour before the show finally ended and Scott left the stage. Scott did stop the show three times, twice for unconscious members of the crowd and once to allow an ambulance through but each time the show carried on afterwards. The crowd chanted “stop the show”, while some attempted to climb on platforms to get the crews attention while several people were being crushed and injured in the sea of people. Travis did end the show earlier than had been advertised, only by about 20 minutes (which was still 30 minutes after he stopped the show a third time) 40 minutes after an ambulance arrived on scene and 1 hour after the first 911 call attempt. The remainder of Astroworld was cancelled.

The crowd rushes fatally injured 10 attendees. Eight died at the scene and a further two later died from their injuries. It is estimated up to 300 people needed medical attention for injuries which resulted from the crowd surge.

Lawsuits

Documents read in court revealed that organisers predicted there would be issues 10 days before the event. Documents show there was a miscalculation or a mistake made with the organisers believing that the code for fire safety allowed each person five square foot when really the number was seven. Gate crashers meant many more un-ticketed music fans gained access to the space adding to the already oversold capacity. These documents also show there was an expectance of un-ticketed attendees with one organiser acknowledging they would be “screwed” because of this.

Harris County commissioners rejected an independent investigation into what happened while a grand jury decided not to charge Scott, along with five others, with any criminal responsibility in June 2023.

Scott had over $3 billion in civil cases filed against him since the event and has successfully settled all but one according to the Guardian in 2024. All details are kept sealed by order of the court.

In a series of what viewers felt were half hearted, and not genuine videos and statements posted to social media, Scott apologised declaring he was not aware of any issues or problems on the night, and he would pay for funeral costs for the families of those who died.

An Expected Wild One?

Scott’s performances have become well known for their wildness with some performances registering on earthquake monitors! In 2015, Scott encouraged concert attendees to ignore security and storm the stage after which he was charged with disorderly conduct. In 2017, he tried to encourage a fan to jump from a second storey balcony while another attendee was left paralysed after being pushed from the third storey. At the 2019 Astroworld, three people were hospitalised with leg injuries after being trampled at the event. The event carried on as planned.

Public Apologies

In the days after Astroworld 2021, both Scott and Live Nation released statements of apology and reassured fans they were working with law enforcement and all their enquiries. Scott has placed the blame on Live Nation believing he had hired professionals to do their jobs regarding public safety, and they failed. The public seemingly have placed the blame on Scott as he failed to end the show even after having to stop three times for medical emergencies in the crowd and his apologies on social media afterwards failed to convince many of his sincerity.

Scots Law on Festivals

Thankfully these tragedies are very few at festivals, so what does Scotland have in place to ensure safety of attendees and be prepared for emergencies? A lot! Though there is no specific piece of legislation about festivals there are several to ensure events run lawfully and safely, starting with obtaining the relevant permission and licences from the appropriate local authority. Different areas have different policies when it comes to events, so it is important for organisers to contact the appropriate authority.

To run an event with staging, a permit is required in accordance with Section 89 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. Licences and permissions are also required if the event if to be filmed or recorded, and, in some circumstances, permission may be required from landowners, so the Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides information there.

For safety, Police Scotland should be notified and be part of the planning process to assist with safety procedures and planning. As the national police service for Scotland, they should be notified as early as possible to offer support during the planning process and decide whether police are required for the event and any costs that may incur. Also, in the interests of safety, several laws and policies are in place to ensure venues and events are fully equipped for all sorts of emergencies. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, also known as Martyn’s Law, and Protect UK provide all the relevant and up to date information to ensure events and venues are prepared, protected and ready to act in case of acts of terrorism.

Safety Advisory Group (SAG) processes might be required depending on the size of the event being planned and are coordinated by the local authority. This group will consist of the local authority, emergency services, event organisers and any other appropriate bodies. This group will help during the planning stages and create communication between all the appropriate agencies for the event. Not all local authorities will have this as a mandatory process, so the responsibility falls to the organisers to check if this is needed.

Music festivals, or similar events that are large scale, have The Purple Guide as guidance on health and safety from experts in the industry. From the Events Industry Forum supported by the Heath and safety Executive, this guide provides information for anyone involved in organising an outdoor event to ensure the health and safety of employees, performers, volunteers and attendees.

The Green Guide provides information specifically for sporting arenas or places like a stadium with tiered seating. This guide includes advice from experts on assessing safe capacities, fire safety, medical provisions, efficient communication and crowd management.

What Do You Think: Is No One Criminally Responsible?

10 music fans tragically lost their lives at Astroworld 2021, with the youngest being just nine years old. A venue that raised safety concerns days before the event, a show stopped three times but not ended, desperate attendees ignored in their cries for help, an artist and an organiser denying responsibility and a grand jury who believed no one was criminally responsible. Looking at regulations in Scotland, the emphasis placed on safety being the responsibility of the organisers leads to the conclusion that Live Nation would be held criminally responsible for these fatalities.

And I agree.

What do you think? Were the grand jury right in their decision? Is it Live Nation or Travis Scott who should bare responsibility? Let us know!

References

Rachel’s Crime & Society Blog: Could an Astroworld Tragedy Happen Here in Scotland?

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