What was supposed to be a multi-day festival of energy and excitement turned into an unforeseen nightmare. With nine deaths and many more injured, the Astroworld tragedy has affected more than just those who attended but also the entirety of the country.   

When the concert originally started on Nov. 5, it was evident that Astroworld, a series of performances by Travis Scott, was overcrowded and dangerous because of the 50,000 attendees. After the doors opened for the performance, the crowd surged forward, with many sprinting into the arena. Amidst the chaos, attendees shoved and pushed one another to get inside, leading to people being knocked to the floor and then trampled by the excited crowd. There was very little room, making it even more difficult for those on the ground to get up. Screams for help were also drowned out by the music. By the time the concert was finally stopped, nine had lost their lives, and hundreds more were injured. 

“Some collapsed. Others fought for air. Concertgoers lifted up the unconscious bodies of friends and strangers and surfed them over the top of the crowd, hoping to send them to safety. Others shouted for help with CPR and pleaded for the concert to stop,” J. David Goodman and Maria Jimenez Moya said in a New York Times article. 

The disaster has gained even more attention on the internet as Kylie Jenner, the biological mother of their child, remains silent on all social media. Jenner has not posted since the incident on her personal account nor for any of her brands. She typically makes millions of dollars for a single picture, so without this necessary marketing, her brand dealerships and sales are on the line. While Jenner takes a step back from an online presence, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian are being criticized for also failing to acknowledge the tragedy. Scott has publicly addressed the situation, but many fans think it is unacceptable. There is not much he can do to compensate for the lives lost at his festival, but a formal apology would be a good place to start.  

“I feel it is best that Kylie takes a period of rest on her social media because her going back to posting selfies of herself would be insensitive and rude to those who lost their lives at the tragic concert,” Avery Hamlin, sophomore, said. 

Concerts are increasingly becoming more dangerous, and Astroworld is a tragic example of these unsafe conditions. The deaths at the festival could have been prevented with a limited number of tickets, proper crowd control, and stopping the concert as soon as an ambulance had made its way onto the scene.  

“’ Anytime you can hear something like that, you want to stop the show,’ the ‘Sicko Mode’ emcee continued [said], adding that he did stop the music a few times during the fateful event,” the New York Post said. 

The country is mourning the Astroworld tragedy, and many are speaking out to stop dangerous concert practices and go back to enjoying entertainment safely.