It was disturbing to see the news Saturday morning in the immediate aftermath of the first day of Houston’s Astroworld festival after officials declared 8 people died as a result of a crowd surge. Among the ones to answer for the tragic events that took place at Houston's NRG Park on Friday night is Astroworld's concert promoter and worldwide entertainment conglomerate, Live Nation.
On Saturday, attendees of Astroworld, as well as the internet, soon enough, saw the horrifying outcomes of a festival gone wrong, spurred by safety violations and little effort to quell an already aggressive and ever-growing crowd. Videos from Astroworld’s first day went viral, capturing crowds bursting through barricades, trampling other fans, and attendees screaming for help as concertgoers dropped to the ground. Stories, rumors, and news have festered and spread like wildfire as the situation and investigations continue to unfold. Authorities confirmed rumors of security being injected with drugs and news of uncontrollable crowd surges.
This isn’t the first time Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Live Nation Worldwide have been asked to answer for the tragedies that have ensued at their events. For years, countless artists at shows and festivals hosted by Live Nation have seen crowds enduring mass injuries for breaking through barricades, falling, and witnessing violent on-site intrusions. According to records verified by Variety, the entertainment conglomerate has been linked to at least 750 injuries and around 200 deaths at its events since 2006. These statistics span across seven countries, not including the dozens of lawsuits Live Nation has been caught up in.
One lawsuit back in 2011 resulted in the company settling for $50 million after a stage collapse disaster at the Indiana State Fair killed seven people and injured 61 others. Another lawsuit was brought to the table by a Gwen Stefani concertgoer back in 2016 when she broke her leg amidst a mid-show stampede.
After issuing a two-line statement, the world’s largest live-entertainment company has and will continue to come under fire for its countless violations, which keeps proving fatal for event attendees. At this point, it’s about how long the fire lasts, and if anything will truly be done about it. We’ll keep you updated.